A report on Ahimsa in Jainism, Jainism and Tattvartha Sutra

The hand symbolizes Ahiṃsā, the wheel dharmachakra, the resolve to halt saṃsāra (transmigration).

Painting in a Jain temple with the statement "ahinsā paramo dharma" (non-injury is the highest virtue/religion)

Classification of Saṃsāri Jīvas (transmigrating souls) in Jainism

Chart showing Samyak Darsana as per Tattvarthasutra

Violence (Himsa) gouache on paper, 17th century, Gujarat depicts animals of prey with their victims. The princely couple symbolises love, which is another occasion of violence.

Lord Neminatha, Akota Bronzes (7th century)

Sculpture depicting the statement "ahimsā paramo dharma" (Photo:Ahinsa Sthal, Delhi)

Jain miniature painting of 24 tirthankaras, Jaipur, c. 1850

Jain temple painting explaining Anekantavada with Blind men and an elephant

A Jain monk in meditation, wearing the characteristic white robe and face covering

Nishidhi stone, depicting the vow of sallekhana, 14th century, Karnataka

Praying at the feet of a statue of Bahubali

Jain worship may include ritual offerings and recitals.

Celebrating Das Lakshana (Paryushana), Jain Center of America, New York City

The birth of Mahavira, from the Kalpa Sūtra (c.1375–1400 CE)

A symbol to represent the Jain community was chosen in 1975 as part of the commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of Mahavira’s nirvana.

Rishabhdev, believed to have lived over 592.704×1018 years ago, is considered the traditional founder of Jainism.

The ruins of Gori Jain temples in Nagarparkar, Pakistan, a pilgrimage site before 1947.

Saavira Kambada Basadi, Moodbidri, Karnataka

Ahimsā (', alternatively spelled 'ahinsā', Sanskrit: अहिंसा IAST: ', Pāli: ) in Jainism is a fundamental principle forming the cornerstone of its ethics and doctrine.

- Ahimsa in Jainism

The Tattvārthasūtra is regarded as one of the earliest, most authoritative texts in Jainism.

- Tattvartha Sutra

The three main pillars of Jainism are ahiṃsā (non-violence), anekāntavāda (non-absolutism), and aparigraha (asceticism).

- Jainism

ahimsa (abstinence from violence)

- Tattvartha Sutra

Jain texts such as Acaranga Sūtra and Tattvarthasūtra state that one must renounce all killing of living beings, whether tiny or large, movable or immovable.

- Jainism

Tattvārthasūtra defines hiṃsā or violence simply as removal of life by careless activity of mind, body and speech. Thus action in Jainism came to be regarded as truly violent only when accompanied by carelessness.

- Ahimsa in Jainism

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Broad classification of Karmas as per Jain philosophy

Karma in Jainism

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The soul travels to any one of the four states of existence after the death depending on its karmas

The common representation of the mango tree and men analogy of the lesyas.

Representation of a soul undergoing reincarnation.

Karma as moral action and reaction: goodness sown is reaped as goodness.

Karma is the basic principle within an overarching psycho-cosmology in Jainism.

Karma forms a central and fundamental part of Jain faith, being intricately connected to other of its philosophical concepts like transmigration, reincarnation, liberation, non-violence (ahiṃsā) and non-attachment, among others.

This is explained by Tattvārthasūtra 6.7: "[The] intentional act produces a strong karmic bondage and [the] unintentional produces weak, shortlived karmic bondage."