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Liber XVIII · Jainism

Liber XVIII · Jainism · Chapter I: Ahimsa & the Vows

Ahimsa and the Jain Vows: Non-Violence in Jain Practice

Ahimsa and the Jain vows explained: non-violence toward all life, the five great vows of monks and nuns, the twelve lay vows, Jain diet and sallekhana.

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As is the case in many of the earliest surviving manuscripts of the Jain tradition, the paintings do not illustrate the content of the text. The Sanskrit text tells the story of a prince during the time of…
As is the case in many of the earliest surviving manuscripts of the Jain tradition, the paintings do not illustrate the content of the text. The Sanskrit text tells the story of a prince during the time of…Devachandra · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ahimsa, non-violence or non-harming, is the central ethical principle of Jainism: because every living being has a soul that wishes to live and fears suffering, Jains strive to avoid harming any creature, from humans and animals to insects, plants and the smallest forms of life. Ahimsa is the first of five vows — non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, chastity and non-possession — taken in their strictest form by monks and nuns and in a modified form by lay Jains.

Why Ahimsa Is Central to Jainism§

The Acaranga Sutra, one of the oldest Jain scriptures, teaches that all breathing, living, sentient creatures should not be slain, mistreated or tormented, and that this is the pure and eternal law proclaimed by the wise. Behind this teaching lies the Jain view of the universe described in Jain Teachings: the world is filled with souls, each essentially equal, embodied in beings ranked by their senses — one-sensed beings such as plants and the life in earth, water, fire and air; two-sensed beings such as worms; three-sensed beings such as ants; four-sensed beings such as bees; and five-sensed animals, humans, gods and hell-beings.

Harming another soul is wrong in itself and also binds karma to the one who harms, prolonging their own bondage. The Tattvartha Sutra defines violence as the taking of life, or injury to the vital forces of a being, through careless or passionate activity. This places weight on the inner state: an act done with anger, greed or negligence is violent even if no being is visibly hurt, while a careful ascetic who accidentally causes harm incurs far less karma. Another aphorism of the same text, often translated "souls render service to one another," was adopted as the motto of the Jain emblem created in 1974–1975 for the 2,500th anniversary of Mahavira's liberation, with an open hand bearing the word ahimsa on a wheel.

The Five Great Vows of Jain Ascetics§

Jain monks and nuns take the five mahavratas, "great vows," at initiation (diksha), renouncing harm in thought, word and deed, whether done personally, caused through others or approved:

Cartoon image of Digambar Jaina monk holding peacock feather and Kamandala.
Cartoon image of Digambar Jaina monk holding peacock feather and Kamandala.Be Jain · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
  1. Ahimsa — complete non-violence toward all beings.
  2. Satya — truthfulness, including avoiding speech that causes harm.
  3. Asteya — not taking anything that is not given.
  4. Brahmacharya — complete celibacy.
  5. Aparigraha — non-possession and non-attachment.

These vows are supported by five "carefulnesses" (samitis) — in walking, speaking, receiving alms, picking up and putting down objects, and disposing of bodily waste — and three "restraints" (guptis) of mind, speech and body. Ascetics walk barefoot, never use vehicles, and stay in one place during the four months of the monsoon (chaturmas), when the ground teems with life. They carry a soft whisk to brush small creatures gently from their path or seat; Shvetambara ascetics use a woollen broom, Digambaras a whisk of peacock feathers shed naturally. Sthanakavasi and Terapanthi monks and nuns wear the muhpatti, a cloth over the mouth that protects tiny beings in the air. Ascetics periodically pull out their hair by hand in the rite of kesh loch, a sign of detachment from the body. The differences between the traditions are discussed in Digambara and Shvetambara Jainism.

The Twelve Vows of Jain Laypeople§

Lay Jains (shravakas and shravikas, "listeners") cannot practise total non-violence while running households and businesses, so they take the five anuvratas, "small vows": to avoid intentionally harming moving beings, to avoid gross lies, not to steal, to be faithful within marriage, and to limit possessions. Classical texts add three gunavratas, "reinforcing vows," such as limiting travel and consumption and avoiding purposeless harm, and four shikshavratas, "disciplinary vows," which include periods of meditative equanimity (samayika), fasting on holy days and offering food to ascetics and guests. Together these make the twelve vows of the Jain householder.

Samayika, a period of about forty-eight minutes spent in stillness, recitation and reflection, temporarily gives the layperson a taste of the ascetic life; pratikramana, a ritual of confession and repentance, is performed daily by devout Jains and especially during the festival of Paryushana. These practices sit within the wider history of Indian meditation.

Ahimsa has historically shaped Jain livelihoods. Because farming kills countless small beings, many Jains turned to trade, banking, jewellery and the professions, while avoiding occupations such as butchery, the sale of weapons and alcohol, and other trades judged harmful.

Jain Diet and Daily Discipline§

Jain food rules are among the strictest in any religion. Jains are vegetarian, avoiding meat, fish and eggs, and traditionally also honey, alcohol and certain fruits thought to harbour many tiny beings. Many avoid root vegetables such as potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots, because uprooting a plant kills it and because roots are believed to contain innumerable minute souls. Observant Jains filter drinking water and avoid eating after sunset, when insects are more likely to be harmed by cooking fires and lamps. On particular days they may avoid green vegetables altogether. In recent decades a growing number of Jains, particularly in the diaspora, have adopted veganism out of concern about the treatment of animals in modern dairy farming.

Detail of a painting of a Jain monk, by Kapur Singh, Punjab, ca.1860–65
Detail of a painting of a Jain monk, by Kapur Singh, Punjab, ca.1860–65Kapur Singh of Amritsar · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Fasting is a valued austerity. Lay Jains may fast for a day, for eight days during Paryushana, or for longer periods, taking only boiled water, and communities celebrate the completion of long fasts publicly. Fasting is understood as a means of shedding karma and of mastering the body's desires, not as a penance imposed by a deity.

Sallekhana: The Jain Fast unto Death§

The most controversial expression of Jain discipline is sallekhana (also called santhara in some communities), a gradual and voluntary fast undertaken at the end of life. Jain texts, including the Tattvartha Sutra and later manuals for laypeople, describe it as appropriate only when death is approaching through extreme old age, incurable illness, famine or calamity, and when it can be undertaken with a calm mind, free of passion, usually with the permission and guidance of a religious teacher. Jains distinguish it sharply from suicide, which they regard as an act of passion and therefore a cause of karmic bondage. Inscriptions at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka commemorate many monks, nuns and laypeople who died in this way from the early medieval period onward.

Sallekhana has been the subject of legal and ethical debate in India. In 2015 the High Court of Rajasthan ruled that the practice was equivalent to suicide and punishable, prompting widespread Jain protests; the Supreme Court of India stayed that ruling within weeks, and the issue remains before the courts. The practice is described here historically and as a matter of religious belief, not as a recommendation. Anyone experiencing thoughts of ending their life should seek support from medical professionals or a crisis service.

Ahimsa Beyond the Jain Community§

Jain ahimsa influenced Indian religion and politics well beyond the community. Jain merchants and ascetics persuaded rulers, including the Mughal emperor Akbar, to restrict animal slaughter on Jain holy days, and Jain-funded animal shelters (panjrapoles) and bird hospitals still operate across India. Mahatma Gandhi drew on the Jain environment of his native Gujarat and on the teacher Shrimad Rajchandra in developing his philosophy of non-violent resistance. Today Jain ethics is often cited in discussions of vegetarianism, animal rights and environmental ethics, as explored in the essays collected in Jainism and Ecology.

Frequently asked questions§

What are the five vows of Jainism?§

They are non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), not stealing (asteya), chastity (brahmacharya) and non-possession (aparigraha). Monks and nuns take them in absolute form as "great vows"; laypeople take them in a limited form as "small vows."

Why don't Jains eat root vegetables?§

Pulling up a root vegetable kills the whole plant and disturbs the soil and its life, and roots are believed to contain countless microscopic souls. Avoiding them reduces the harm caused by eating, in line with the principle of ahimsa.

Is sallekhana the same as suicide?§

Jains say it is not. Sallekhana is a vow undertaken only when death is near, with a calm and passionless mind and under religious guidance, whereas suicide is seen as an act driven by passion. Indian courts have debated the question, and the matter remains legally unresolved.

Sources and further reading§