To get absolute non violence shouldn't all Jain people kill themselves?
No. In Jain Dharma, absolute non-violence does not mean killing oneself.
Jainism teaches:
- Ahimsa means avoiding harm to all living beings.
- Suicide is himsa because it harms the soul’s embodiment and is done with attachment, aversion, or despair.
- Ahiṃsā is practiced by reducing injury, not by destroying one’s own life.
- The Jain path is to purify karma through self-restraint, compassion, fasting with discipline, forgiveness, and right conduct.
Even in severe vows or austerities, a Jain must not act with violence toward the body out of hatred or hopelessness. The goal is moksha through spiritual discipline, not self-destruction.
So the correct Jain understanding is:
- Do not kill others
- Do not kill oneself
- Live with restraint, compassion, and detachment
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