Heritage of the Last Arhat Mahavira

SR No.: 001653
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Charlotte Krause
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Total Pages: 32
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Religion, & Devotion
File Size: 3 MB

Page 12

unconsciousness. For, as a man who had made up his mind to kill a certain person at the first best opportunity, goes about with his murderous intention day and night, and as his subconscious mind is constantly filled with those hostile sentiments towards that person, just so the individual is constantly filled with hostile sentiments towards the whole of creation, as long as he is inwardly prepared to satisfy, as soon as they will arouse him, his physical instincts at the cost of the well-being of any other creature.
There is, according to the Sūtras, only one way by which the individual can save himself from binding bad Karma, and that is the "Pratyākhyāna”, i.e., the solemn vow of restriction concerning harmful acting. For it is not enough not to do evil deeds, after all, but one must avoid them with full intention and deliberation. Thus, one can e.g., vow not to eat meat in order to give an assurance of safety, "Abhayadāna”, the noblest of all gifts, to a large group of animals, one can vow to avoid eating at night, in order to put another kind to limit to one's actions connected with indirect harm to others, one can vow not to wear silk or fur, or leather foot-wear, for the benefit of the animals producing it, one can vow not to break flowers, or not to kill any animal whatsoever, down to worms and insects, one can vow not to waste any articles of daily use, such as water, fire, food, clothes, beyond one's actual requirements, one can vow not to encourage the captivating and training of wild animals for the shake of sport or amusement, by avoiding to visit shows, etc., referring thereto, and one can vow to avoid thousands of similar actions connected with direct or indirect injury to other creatures. There are various kinds of Pratyākhyānas, from Pratyākhyānas of single actions of the above characters, up-to the stereotype group of the five allcomprising Pratyākhyānās, called the Pañcā Mahāvrata, or the Five Great Vows, viz., the Pratyakhyāna of all physical injury whatsover, that of all verbal injury, that of appropriating things