Excerpts From Studies In Jainism: Primer
Our practice of nonviolence begins with the self. First, we should avoid mental and physical violence toward ourselves. Next, we should avoid violence toward our parents and other family members. Then we should avoid violence toward other human beings and animals. We should not commit one kind of violence to avoid another kind of violence. Here are a few simple rules to follow:
1. Even when things do not go as we wish, we should not get angry or upset.
2. We should be modest.
3. We should take only what we need. We should avoid waste.
4. We should be open-minded and fair. We should understand others' viewpoints. We should avoid things that may lead to violence. We should not do anything without giving it careful thought. We should not do things just because others do them.
5. We should not dislike people who do bad things. We should not take revenge. We should not do bad things ourselves.
6. We should not laugh at others' mistakes, clothes or appearance. We should keep in mind that everybody makes mistakes.
7. We should keep our homes clean. We should keep our things in order. We should wear clean clothes.
8. We should trust that our parents always want the best for us. Their love for us is instinctive and unselfish. So we should try to understand their viewpoint and value their advice.
9. We should understand the importance of education. As students, studying and doing our best in school should be our primary goal.
10. When we get sick, we have bad feelings and thoughts. This is violence of self. So to maintain good health, we should eat healthy vegetarian food. We should rest and exercise properly.
11. We should remember that chastity, that is, purity of body and mind, helps us to avoid future problems.
12. We should not smoke, drink alcohol or abuse drugs. People become slaves of these habits. These things are also bad for our health. They limit our ability to think. People who use these things lose their sense of right and wrong. This is violence of self.