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An Interpretation of Jaina Ethics
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these practices, changing places with one another in the alternate performing of austerities, and service, in obedience to a self elected Guru. During these eighteen months, the discipline to be observed is so strict that it would, e.g., be forbidden to take any care of one's body even in the case of severe sickness.
The fourth standard is the Sūkşma-sāmparāya-cāritra, which requires the complete annihilation of one's Anger, Pride and Deceit, and a partial one of the fourth great passion, viz., covetousness, of which only a small fraction is allowed to remain.
The fifth standard, the Yathākhyāta Cāritra, demands a complete annihilation of all the four passions, and a strict Jinakalpi conduct, completely in accordance with the monastic discipline, once put in action, and promulgated, by the last Jina.
The last three standards can no more be attained by monks of the present age, in which the strength of bodily and mental constitution as required for the fulfilment of the respective rules, is no more to be found. Since the time, when all such heroic accomplishments were possible, and were indeed put in action, a great degeneration has taken place according to Jaina tradition.
The lowest standard of discipline is the Deśa-virati-căritra of Śrāvakas, the rules for which are the twelve laymen vows, the socalled Dvādaśa-vrata, or, in the vernacular, the Badā-vrata, which play a great part in the life of the single Jaina as well as that of the whole community.
Besides being, in themselves, milder than the respective prescriptions for ascetics, the laymen vows can be taken only with reference to not doing and not causing to be done, bad thoughts, words and actions. Moreover, one or other of these factors, such as 'not causing to be done' or 'bad thoughts' etc. can optionally be left away, or instead of taking all the vows, a selection of some of them can be adopted. Consequently, the layman who adopts the twelve vows, or some of them, is left ample freedom to fulfill all his worldly duties, and to remain in fullest concordance with worldly
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| SR No. | 001785 |
| Book Title | Charlotte Krause her Life and Literature |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Shreeprakash Pandey |
| Publisher | Parshwanath Vidyapith |
| Publication Year | 1999 |
| Total Pages | 674 |
| Language | English, Hindi, Gujarati |
| Classification | Book_English, Biography, & Articles |
| File Size | 11 MB |