43.Heroism of Non-Violence

Chapter- 43

Heroism of Non-Violence
Non-violence of Jainism is relevant and endowed with lustre of valour on the axis of contemporariness. No cowardice and escapism is hidden in its womb.

Achharya Shri Shanti Sagar Ji Maharaj though being an incarnation of non-violence and observer of five great vows, ex­plained non-violence to the Jain society as a form of weapon of valour only, because fleeing from the fear of tyrants in the name of non-violence is weakness and cowardice. Non-violence is im­potent, when it discourages us of protection against invaders.

This incident is of Islampur in 1927 when Achharya Shri was about to leave from there along with the congregation. Some people, hostile of Jainism, collectively decided that all those na­ked saints would be allowed to go out of the village only after forcing to put on the loin-cloth. Thousands of Kshatriya Jains gathered taking swords, guns and spears in their hands to en­counter the unexpected crisis on Jain saints.

Muni Chandra Sagar Ji, a member of the congregation, then told the people to keep quiet and not to be excited. When Achharya Shri heard this, he told Muni Shri, that preaching of peace was not timely at that time. When the prestige of the reli­gion was at stake every possible course of action for its protec­tion should be adopted. That was not the time to keep quiet. The atheists were preparing to clothe the passionless saints, and the capable religious people could not sit idle keeping mum. Behav­ing according to circumstances is the command of Jainism. Pro­tection of virtuous religion was not possible by showing asceti- cism/detachment at the time of Kshatriya-tendency. The vision of Achharya Shri at that time was in conformity with the brilliant Kshatriya tradition which was precisely a form of the supreme energy of non-violence. ‘Forgiveness befits the serpent who holds poison and not to the one who is toothless, poison-less, meek and simple.