Event Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026

Event Time: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. PDT | 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. CEST | 9:30 - 10:30 p.m. IST

 

 

This presentation explores the relationship between compassion and nonviolence. Engaging classical sources, contemporary scholarship, and psychological research, it presents compassion as a layered process that integrates perception, understanding, and emotional resonance, ultimately shaping ethical action. The talk contends that while compassion may inspire nonviolence, ahiṃsā functions as a disciplined vow and form of religious conduct rather than an emotion. By distinguishing between inner disposition, knowledge, and outward practice, the lecture provides a clearer framework for thinking about the foundations of nonviolence.

 

Presented in collaboration with JAINA (Federation of Jain Associations in North America).

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Dickstein, PhD, the Tirthankara Shreyansanath Endowed Assistant Professor of Jain and Vegan Studies at Arihanta Institute, specializes in South Asian Religions, Religion and Ecology, and Comparative Religious Ethics. He received his doctoral degree in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he wrote his dissertation on ancient Indian animal taxonomies and their relevance for religious ritual and dietary practice. Jonathan’s current work focuses on Jainism and contemporary ecological issues, and accordingly extends into Critical Animal Studies, Food Studies, and Diaspora Studies.

 

Jonathan has published in a wide array of interdisciplinary journals on topics such as veganism and politics, yoga and diet, Jain veganism, and the ethic of nonviolence (ahiṃsa). Jonathan considers himself a scholar-practitioner, having spent many years not only in libraries but also in public advocating for justice for both humans and nonhumans alike.