Violence in Thought
Even violent thoughts harm the soul; ahimsa begins in the mind.
Jainism teaches that violence begins in thought before manifesting in action. Angry, harmful, or hostile thoughts create karma that binds the soul. True ahimsa requires purifying the mind of all violent intentions.
He who has conquered the passions never injures any living being.
Mental ahimsa is considered the root of all non-violent practice.
Jain Agamas
Written about in
- What Jainism says about ahimsa and non-violence
Harm is said to start in the mind. A hostile thought is treated as an event in its own right, because it is where the act begins.
- What Jainism says about forgiveness
A grudge is not a private feeling in this system; it is himsa, violence, already committed. Jainism holds that violence begins in thought and binds karma before a word is spoken, which makes silently wishing someone ill an act with consequences of its own.