VMPL
New Delhi [India], October 2: The IHC–ICPR Study Circle, as part of its Lecture Series, hosted an engaging lecture on “Ahiṃsā and Prakṛti” at the India Habitat Centre on Tuesday evening. The programme was presented by Bharat Bodh Kendra, Habitat Library & Research Centre, presented the programme, bringing together scholars and distinguished guests for a deeper exploration of the relationship between non-violence, nature, and responsible human conduct.
The session was chaired by Prof. (Dr.) K. G. Suresh, Director, India Habitat Centre, who in his opening remarks emphasised the relevance of Jain thought to contemporary questions concerning nature, habitat and the environment.
Atul Jain, Vice Chairman, Deendayal Research Institute and Chief Guest, connected the discussion with contemporary patterns of consumption and resource use. He distinguished between responsible use and exploitation, stressing the importance of restraint, recycling and regeneration. Drawing upon practices observed in Uttarakhand, he noted that traditional communities have incorporated reverence for nature into practices surrounding the use of resources.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Prof. Veersagar Jain, Professor, Department of Jain Darshan, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, examined the deeper philosophical meanings of ahiṃsā and prakṛti. He observed that ahiṃsā is not merely the avoidance of physical violence but a way of relating to all living beings. Referring to the Jain tradition, he underlined that non-violence extends beyond human life to animals, birds, insects, plants and the wider natural world. He also discussed different forms of hiṃsā and emphasised the role of ahiṃsā in addressing anger, attachment and other causes of conflict.
Prof. Bindu Puri, Centre for Philosophy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, reflected on the Jain philosophical understanding of samta (equality) and its rigorous treatment of the relationship between human beings and the non-human world. She highlighted the philosophical significance of Jain ideas of karma and the ethical consequences of causing harm to other forms of life.
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