The Three Hallmarks

Dhammo Mangal Mukkitham, Ahimsa Sanjamo Tavo, Deva Vi Tan Namasanti, Jass Dhamme Saya Mano.

Religion Beneficent Best (Is) Non-Violence, Self-Control, Penance;

Even Gods Worship Him, Whose Mind Always (Engages in) Religion.

This is the first couplet (gatha) of the famous Dashvaikalik Sutra compiled by Shyambhavacharya, the forth head of Jain Sect after Lord Mahaveera, hardly after 100 years of the latter's salvation. One cannot fail to notice the catholicity of the definition of the best religion is this couplet. It only gives the three criteria viz., non-violence, self-control and penance and any religion which prescribes this threefold way of life is considered as the best religion though it may bear any name. The couplet does not even mention Jainism or Nigrantha (Knotless) the name by which it was known at that time.

2. However, it does not declare the three hall-marks or distinctive features of Jainism and Jain way of life in simple language and these have been so understood and accepted by all and sundry. These hall-marks only summarise the principles of right conduct under the three heads of non-violence, self control and penance and place them in bold relief. Just as a tree is recognised by its trunk, branches and leaves though the ground it stands on and the invisible root are equally important; similarly, the tree of Jainism is recognised by the trunk and branches consisting of Right Conduct (in the form of non-violence, self control and penance) while Right Vision Forms the solid ground in which it is imbedded and Right Knowledge forms its roots.

3. It needs to be clarified that in its broader scope non-violence, includes self-control as well as penance and, therefore, all the vows, controls constituting Right Conduct as shall be discussed presently. A question can legitimately arise as to when Right Conduct has already been stated and dealt with as means of salvation, why and what for the need for the three hallmarks? The answer is that a layman may not be interested in the philosophical discussion of the seven fundamentals or the three jewels, he may find it difficult to absorb such fine details. If such a one wants to know what is Jainism, what distinguished it from other faiths or religions, the religion teaching non-violence, self-control and penance or these constitute right conduct (Charitra) and it has been rightly said that Charito Khalu Dhamo conduct is supreme religion.

4. Further if one were to look for one single hallmark of Jainism, one outstanding feature, it is non-violence and non-violence alone. It has been said rightly that Ahimsa Parmo Dharma - non-violence is the highest religion. From this point of view all other aspects of religion including self-control and penance are but part of the broader spectrum of non-violence. Indeed, one cannot practise non-violence properly of one did not control one's thought, speech and action. Thus when any un-restricted movement while walking may cause violence to living beings. This necessitates control over one's limbs implying self-control.

5. Similarly, if in spite of all efforts one is not able to exercise self-control specially control over one's mind and senses, penance is the means to achieve the same. By practising penance not only the body, but the speech and the mind can be effectively leading to a non-violent way of life. Thus self-control and penance are but steps to non-violence.

6. However, the function and applications of these hallmarks are distinct and marked. In non-violence the main aim is to avoid injury to all living beings. In self-control the operative part is control over body, mind and speech. Penance devotes itself to control the senses and the desires by practising austerities. The first two concern themselves mainly with stoppage of influx (Sanwar) of karmas from the soul primarily. As such though they are closely related to one another each has got a distinct function and identity to deserve mention as a separate hallmark. Now we can deal with each of these separately.

7. Non-violence Ahimsa-The first Hallmark-Now doubt brief mention of non-violence has been made in earlier chapters on Seven Fundamentals and Three Jewels which only underlines its important and inescapability from every discussion of (any aspect of) Jainism. And why Jainism alone? Every religion or creed or spiritual leader has preached non-violence in some form or other, or under some other nomenclature. First commandment that Moses got on Sinai was "Thou shall not kill". Christ preached love and Mohammed taught Equality. The Buddha spread the message of kindness(Karuna). The same current of thoughtful people (e.g. Mahatma Gandhi) have been thinking in terms of non-violence, as the only real solution of world conflicts.

8. However, the importance given to non-violence by Jain prophets is incomparable anywhere else. While other systems made exceptions and permitted violence in the grab of religions pursuits or considering man as a favoured creature for whom other animals have to be treated as food, Jainism made no such concessions. Actually, one of the earlier Prophets - 22nd Prophet Nemi renounced his wife and the world on knowing that animals were going to be slaughtered for his wedding.

9. The principle of non-violence in Jainism embraces not only humanity or the animal kingdom but also trees and vegetables, earth, air and water, as all these are considered as living beings with souls. As such they also feel pain when injured or destroyed and one commits violence when indulging in such acts e.g. cutting of trees, excavating the earth recklessly. Incidentally, all ecologists, environmentalists and preservationists are coming to the same conclusion as a result of the latest advance of science. There is a movement for preservation of animals, realizing that every creature-tiniest or wildest-has its place in the scheme of nature. Tree cutting, pollution of water of rivers and oceans and needless unplanned excavation of earth is raising protest. The world is coming to the same path a preached by Jainism millenniums ago.

10. The rational behind the principle of non-violence, according to Jain thought, is equality of all living beings - all souls with one sense or five senses being essentially alike. As such none has the right or justification to treat another one in a manner different from how it would like to be treated, which is the golden rule. Again no one likes pain or bondage or death-every body wants to live and live without pain or fear. If so, what right has one being to cause pain or death to another when it does not want it for itself?

11. According to the theory of causation (Karma) violence leads to bondage and defilement of the soul thus delaying its liberation. The injurer soul suffers from the passions accompanying the act of causing injury and the injured one forms a sense of enmity and hatred towards the injures. This perpetuates the cycle of birth and death by defilement of both the souls.

12. In more simple and direct terms one cannot visualise a world full of violence or without non-violence. Indeed in spite of age long emphasis on non-violence, love and kindness by all spiritual leaders the world is difficult and miserable place to live. One shudders at the prospects of a world where only violence prevails. There are some who hold the view that life survives more with the help of life. But what is forgotten is that life survives more with the help of life. It is the mutual help, love, kindness, charity shown by one living being for another that makes the world a fit place to live. Non-violence is, therefore, a practical necessity and an obvious essential needing no penumbra of justification.

13. The general observations show the wide sweep of non-violence in Jain thought about which we shall know more when we come to the in-depth study of the subject from various angles where also Jainism excels all other systems.

14. Non-violence is negation of violence (though there is a positive and equally important aspect of it as we shall see presently). To understand non-violence one must first grasp the meaning of violence. Jain thinkers have delved deep into the subject and the universally accepted definition of violence is injuring vitalities (parma) by reckless or passionate activity (Pramatt Yoga). This simple yet profound definition of violence is full of meaning and it contains the result of insight of the perfect beings and their successors-Acharyas and will need some elucidation.

15. There are two constituents of violence according to the above defination viz.
(i) injuring vitalitites
(ii) reckless and passionate activity leading to it.

16.As per the classification of living beings as the number of vitalities increases, the conbciousness also increases and with this increases the capacity to feel pain and pleasure.

17. Every living being whether a man or an animal, a worm or a tree, wants to have a free experience of its vitalities and any possible prevention from such enjoyment causes pain to that living being. Such a prevention or deprivation by another can be in different forms. This brings us to the second constituent of violence i.e. recklessness or passionate activity. Recklessness results from 15 activities :

1. Intoxication
2. Sleepiness
3-6 : Four passions( anger, pride, deceit and greed)
7-11: Five senses of touch, taste, smell sight and hearing.
12-15:Gossip about food, sex, politics and administration

18. The activities are also of three types:
(i) Activity of Mind i.e. thinking
(ii) Activity of Speech i.e. words
(iii) Activity of the body i.e. physical action
Thus the constituent of violence is the activity of any of the above three kinds.

19. Thus we come to the practical meaning of violence which is causing injury to any of the vitality of any living being by reckless activity - at some place it is also called only passionate activity.Abjuring such activity is observation of non-violence.

20. From the intrinsic point of view the injuries to vitalities cannot be avoided by a living being because there is no place in the world which is free from lifa and any movement of body, mind or speech is bound to injure some life or other. The essence lies therefore in avoiding reckless behaviour in day to day conduct.

21.Having analysed the nature of violence let us analyze its divisions and sub divisions. As any activity can be divided into three parts, the same way violence has three stages, namely:
a) Samarambh, i.e. planning
b) Preparation and
c) Execution

The above can be performed due to any of the passions, like, anger, pride, deceit, and greed. Thius give us 12 types of violence. All the above types can be done by three types of media, viz. mind, speech or body.

This gives us in total 36 combinations. Now an act can be ciommited by oneself or someone else or a third peson acts on the advice of another. This gives us 108 combinations in all.

22. Perfect practice of non-violence is to shun each one of the 108 types of violence mentioned in the previous para which is the bounden duty of Jain saints or shramanas.

23. However, for the laity the injunction of non-violence is not os rigid. He can undertake to abjure the commitment of violence to the extent possible and may progress from stage to stage according to his capacity, the ideal being complete renunciation of violence as mentioned above.

24. The positive side of non-violence is as important as the negative side. The positive aspect of non-violence implies forgiveness, kindness, pity, charity, service etc.

25. Jainism provides complete guidance for observation in day to day life. The practising of major and minor vows makes it easy to observe non-violence. The non-violent person should be full of benevolence towards all living beings, show joy at sight of the virtuous, becomforting to the afflicted to show tolerence towards the ill-behaved. Above all the origin of non-violence is in the attitude of the mind. The mind should be constantly vigilant, careful and considerate.

Realising that there is no space free from life, then, how should one walk, stand, sit, sleep, eat and speak so the sinful karma bondage may not accrue?

The answer is: With vigilance should one walk, stand sit, sleep, eat and talk . Thus sinful karma bondage shall not accrue to the soul. Such a vigilant conduct avoids defilement of the soul by karmas or sins leading ultimately to freedom from bondage and salvation. Need for non-violence is the conduct of man and society or state is the greatest in the present times. No wonder that is why Lord Mahaveera called non-violence as Goddess - Ahimsa Bhagwati

26. Self Control - Sanyam - The second Hallmark

The word sanyam has been taken from Sanskrit and has many vide meanings. In reference to the Jain Monks it means leaving the worldly pleasures and adoption of life of monkhood with other restraints. In a narrower context sanyam is on eof the ten commandents alongwith forgiveness humility and purity. Thus from a biginner of sanyam to the final stage of suppression of passion and medias which is characterised as supreme purity all come under sanyam. Between these two ends of the scale there are numberless types known as different disciplinary stages. Greater light is thrown on the jain concept of self control by numerous divisions and sub divisions of word sanyam and its meaning. Thus sanyam means right regulation or judicious control over one self. At first we find two divisions of Sanyam :
a) Control fo Senses i.e. Indriya Sanyam
b) Control towards living beings - Pran Sanyam

In the above manner sanyam has been classified in differently on different analysis. But the main emphasis all through for practice of the self control is upon regulation and disciplining of the senses, the speech the body and the mind and to control the desires.

27. Penance, the third Hallmark : ( Lakshan of Jainism)

As a means of self control penance is recommended by all the religious systems - oriental or accidental. The reasons for glorification of Penance are that, according to Jainism, penance apart from ensuring self control and exterminating attachments and desires, ensures not only stoppage but also seperation of karmas from the soul thus freeing the soul from the bondage and hastening liberation thus penance is an essential ingredient of Right Conduct. Penance can be for reward or result. But this is called immature penance. This is because penance is practised for control of desires and not for perpetuating them. Real penance is desireless penance i.e. it is without expecting any reward or results. The penance can be practices externally (bhaiya) in the following six ways :

1. Fasting - Anshan
2. Reduced Cnsumption - Unodari
3. Begging for living - Bikshachari
4. Tastelessness - Rasparityag
5. Tolerence of body pain - Kaya klesh
6. Withdrawal - Sallinata

The six sub-divisions of internal(abhayntra) penance are described as under :

1. Repentance or Expiation ( Prayaschit)
2. Humility or Reverence(Vinaya)
3. Service(Vaiya Vratya)
4. Study or Swadhyaya
5. Meditation or Concentration
a) Sorrowful(Aart)
b) Cruel(Roudra)
c) Virtuous( Dharma)
d) Prime or Shukla
6. Renunciation or Vyutsarga

The wide scope of the practice of Jain Penance can be retreated if it has not become clear already - for the reasons that generally jain penance is condemned as very harsh and difficult to practice Actually very simple acts like study of scriptures or eating one morsel less than one's appetite amounts to practicing very high kind of penance. Thus there is scope for every one to select any practice suitable to his talent and power. Of course what is universally necessary behind such a practice is freedom from worldly desires and passions.

This brings us to the end of description of three hallmarks of Jainism - non violence, self control and penance which cover the entire range of right conduct, therefore Jain Ethics. In fact these three are so interrelated that strict practice of one ensures and embraces the other two. May the world arise, awake and proceed on this noble path.

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Source From : The First Steps to Jainism with Thirtytwo Plates
By Asoo Lal Sancheti, Jodhpur

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