In Jainism, non‑violence = Ahimsa. It is the highest principle and the foundation of all Jain practice.

1. Basic meaning of Ahimsa

Ahimsa means:

• Not harming any living being (jiv)
• By thought, speech, or action
• As far as practically possible

“Living being” includes:

• Humans and animals
• Insects, plants
• Even very small beings like microorganisms (ekendriya, etc.)

So in Jainism, non‑violence is much more than “don’t kill people”; it is deep, universal compassion.

You can read a simple overview of the basic Jain principles (including ahimsa) here

---

2. Ahimsa in three levels

1. In thoughts

- Avoid hatred, anger, cruelty, strong attachment - Try to think with friendliness (maitri) and compassion (karuna)

1. In speech

- Do not hurt others by harsh, insulting, or lying words - Speak truth gently, only when it is helpful and non‑harmful

1. In actions

- Do not kill, beat, torture, or frighten beings - Be careful while walking, working, eating, using water, etc., so that minimum lives are harmed

---

3. For monks and nuns vs. householders

• Monks & nuns (Mahavrata – great vow)

- Try to avoid all forms of violence, even very small - No weapons, no self‑defence, extreme care in walking, eating, speaking

• Householders (Anuvrata – small vow)

- Still must practice non‑violence, but with practical limits of family, job, society - Try to minimize harm: choose less‑violent livelihood, food, habits - If some violence is truly unavoidable (e.g. for livelihood, self‑protection), it should be: - As little as possible - Without anger or cruelty - Followed by repentance (pratikraman)

About different types of necessary/occupational violence and how to keep it minimal:

---

4. Inner spirit of non‑violence

True Jain ahimsa is not only “not hitting”. It is:

• Feeling friendship for all beings
• Feeling pain when others suffer
• Practising forgiveness
• Controlling anger, pride, deceit, greed (kashayas), because these lead to violence

So, non‑violence in Jainism = careful living + pure heart, with constant effort to reduce harm to every soul.