AHIMSA: THE SCIENCE OF PEACE (English)

tirthakarebhyostu syadvadibhyo namonamah

rsabhadi mahavirantebhyo svatmopalabdhye

 

AHIMSA: THE SCIENCE OF PEACE (English)

By Surendra Bothara

2004     220 x 140 mm     192 pp

Softcover     Rs. 100

 

Dr. John Cort is Associate Professor of Religion at Denison University, Ohio, USA. He has reviewed this book in Jain Spirit, Dec- Feb 2005 issue. This is his

review:

"Ahimsa is the foundation of Jain ethics. This is an obvious, uncontroversial statement, with which all Jains would agree. But what do we mean by ahimsa? How do we put it into practice as the basis for living in the contemporary world in a morally responsible manner? Here we will find a range of expressions and opinions.

Surendra Bothara's book will be essential reading for all Jains seeking ways to make ahimsa relevant to their lives, whether in traditional Jain communities of India or in the new global community of Jains living throughout the world. Ahimsa has traditionally been expressed through rituals. There are the regular formal rituals such as pratikraman, specific fasts and expressing Michchami Dukadam to others at the time of Paryushan. There are also the pervasive but less formal expressions of ahimsa in what Jains eat, how they treat animals and in what occupations they follow.

Many contemporary Jains find these traditional ritualized expressions ofahimsa to be insufficient. Ritual can be an empowering means of structuring our lives around core values, but it can also degenerate into mere repetition of words and acts in a way that loses all meaning for the participants. For some people the regular performance of pratikraman and the careful attention to diet are profoundly meaningful. For others, these same actions are empty of meaning.

This is the problem Surendra Bothara creatively addresses in his book Ahimsa: The Science of Peace. He has very little patience with people who define ahimsa only in terms of rituals and social forms inherited from the past. He writes, “So much has been said, by so many, since so long ago, about ahimsa in Jain literature and preaching that it has almost become a synonym of Jainism. The excessive emphasis on mere rituals has done more harm than good to the concept.” He calls on everyone to dig deeply into the existential meaning of ahimsa so that it can transform our lives both as individuals and as communities.

Bothara is deeply learned in the Jain scriptures. For many years he has been engaged in translating essential Shvetambara scriptures such as the KalpaSutra, the Dashavaikalika Sutra and the Acaranga Sutra into English. He shows a familiarity with Digambara scriptures as well. But he realises that simply to echo these ancient texts in a discussion of ahimsa is no longer sufficient. Modern Jains need discussions of ahimsa that are neither 'blindly traditional' nor 'too scholastic in style'. In response to this need, Bothara in this book presents ahimsa in modern terms, He discusses ahimsa in the framework of contemporary science, especially ecology, showing how the interdependence of all life is not just a Jain philosophical dogma, it is also a universal scientific fact.

Bothara is also widely read in many scientific fields. He has done his homework in both Jainism and science. He shows how many (but by no means all) of the ancient teachings of Jainism are consonant with the findings of modern science. Juxtaposing Jain teachings and scientific data is not easy. It requires hard work and intellectual and moral honesty to acknowledge when the two diverge in their conclusions. Bothara is equal to this challenge and as a result he has presented ahimsa within a scientific framework in a careful and compelling manner. He makes ahimsa understandable to a wide audience of traditional Indian Jains, modern global Jains and non-Jains.

In the seventeen years since the first edition of this book was published, the need for ahimsa has become more acute. The end of the Cold War has not seen any lessening of death and destruction, as the number of wars continues unabated. Today we hear about the wars and violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Palestine and Columbia; tomorrow a new roster of countries will fill the list. Nor has the so-called progress of civilisation improved the condition of the environment. Global warming and environmental degradation have only increased in the past two decades. The need for the practical application of ahimsa, directed toward both our fellow human beings and all those other living beings with whom we share the biosphere, is greater than ever.

In response to this need, Bothara has added a new chapter to his book. In it he addresses the two specific problems of terrorism and deteriorating environment, and “provides pointers to inspire readers to formulate practical solutions suitable to their individual surroundings.” He does not provide a simple formula for applying ahimsa to these problems, for that would run counter to his stated intention. Looking to others for answers that we can then follow blindly is part of the problem. Each person needs to apply ahimsa to her or his own life.

At the same time Bothara realises that it is not enough to think and talk about ahimsa. Only if it is put into practice will it make a difference. Therefore he has also added as a valuable appendix the "Experiments with Jainism" developed by Atul Shah and the British Young Jains. These experiments are aimed at allowing everyone to incorporate ahimsa into their everyday lives, to change how they act, speak and even think. One of the great strengths of the experiments is that they are done in groups. It is important for every person to practise ahimsa individually in his or her own life. But practising ahimsa with others both strengthens the experience of each and every person, and provides a multiplying effect whereby ahimsa can have a much greater effect on society at large.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone who feels the need to incorporate ahimsa into her or his life. It will be especially useful for those younger

Jains who feel that the traditional forms of Jainism, couched in the language and rituals of the past, do not adequately speak to their modern, global lives. The book's inexpensive cost will make it an easily available tool for pathshalas and discussion groups.

Among the problem that Bothara analyses as leading to violence and environmental degradation is the unbridled consumerism of modern society. One way to address that problem would be to give copies of this book as presents to friends and relatives, rather than give them expensive gadgets that in the end no one really wants or needs."

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