Non-Violence
23
stop or change their occupation. I tell them that if it happens
naturally then they may, otherwise they should continue with it.
Occupations Involving Violence
Questioner: My friend does not understand why it is wrong
to manufacture pesticides when such an occupation falls upon a
person as a result of his past karmas. How can the butcher be
blamed for selling meat when he is only doing what his karma
dictates? He is paying his dues according to his karmas.
Dadashri: Yes and your friend would continue to assume
this if he did not question it. But because of his merit karma, he is
now questioning this. This is tremendous merit karma unfolding. If
one does not question such things, the violence would continue
causing him much harm (internal dullness) because of the violence
against the living beings within him, whereas the external ahimsa is
inconsequential. Continued himsa results in a decline of spiritual
awareness. A person becomes blunt and insensitive. The external
violence is insignificant because in reality it does not reduce the
number of insects killed. It is the subtle life-forms within oneself
that are killed and as a result makes a person insensitive.
Questioner: Whenever I meet my old friends, I tell them
that they should quit their occupations and I give them examples
of many successful people whose lives have been ruined as a
result of the work they did, but they do not take my advice. After
much suffering, many have left their professions.
Dadashri: One comes to do business involving so much
violence as a result of tremendous sin. It would be best if you
freed yourself from such occupations. There are so many other
ways to make a living. A man once told me that of all his businesses,
his grocery business was the most lucrative. When I asked him
what he did if his grain became infested with bugs, he told me that
he would do everything possible to get rid of the insects, but he
could not eliminate them completely. I assured him that there was