In Jain Dharma, even harming small or subtle living beings is considered violence (himsa).

Jain ethics teach that all jivas, whether visible or invisible, have life and deserve non-violence. Therefore, if some action harms certain organisms, it is not fully aligned with Ahimsa. The ideal is to reduce harm as much as possible, act with care, and avoid unnecessary injury.

In Jain practice:

• Absolute non-violence is the highest principle.
• For householders, complete avoidance of all harm is difficult, so one should choose the least harmful path.
• For sadhus and sadhvis, the standard of non-violence is much stricter.

So from the Jain viewpoint, the correct understanding is: If it harms living beings, it should be avoided as much as possible.