ABSTRACT
The association of compassion with ahimsa expressed in contemporary writings by Jains is supported in classical Jain texts and commentaries, where compassion is associated with a proper view of reality but not with a false view of reality. The association of compassion with samyak-darsana is found in texts on lay and mendicant conduct. The opinion of Jain authors, that true compassion is always accompanied by a proper view of reality and that compassion is lacking in those with a false view of reality, might be associated with views of compassion held by other religious traditions. Acarya Bhiksu believes that the only compassionate acts of giving that are beneficial from a spiritual perspective are giving freedom from fear and giving religious instruction. The apparent absence of compassion in the Tirthankara could not be associated with the rise of karmas that affect proper belief and proper conduct since these karmas have been eliminated from the soul.
