Page Text
________________
VAIRAGYA OR RENUNCIATION IN JAINISM
valuable thing, which is the source of real and lasting joy and happiness Renunciation in Jainism is thus not a particular aspect of life, but the whole life in the progressive procession, and by giving up his worldly riches and possessions arising for them, due to soul's contact with matter and its adverse effect over it, the aspirant soul, like a wise businessman, is bartering the baser wealths with the truly richest spiritual wealths of eternal nature Initiation to Monk's order of life is only a change or order from Annwrati order of life to Mahayratı order of life, after due preparedness This change of order is not the only aspect of renunciation or Vairagya It is a progressive life-long process and starts from the moment one has initiated himself as an annwrati in his heart of hearts after making up his bent of mind and love for the journey on the path of spiritual develonment The householders' (annwratis) and the Monks' (Mahavsatis orders of life are the two different phases or paths of life leading to the same goal of Divinity and Eternity. The only difference in the two 18 that the householders' life is a long and circuitous route while that of a monk is a short cut to the same goal of perfection Even a monk's life is a social life too But in fact his is a super-social life, with the least possible worldly wants and desires, and these too are to be simplified one by one The test of a true monk from his very start according to Jainism is that in his living and conducting, after the principles of Non-violence, Truth, Celebacy, Non-Stealing and Non-possession, he does never do any act by which he can be involved under any criminal code of any state of the world
Universal Brother-bood & Charitability
The true sense of initiation to Monk's order of life, on the role of renunciation, and renouncing of the family and householder's life, 18 that by such a cultivation the aspirant has realised all living beings as his family members. Just as he was charitable and generous enough to be spending his honestly earned material wealths in his householder's lifetime for the sake of the miserable beings, keeping only a little for h mself according to his miomum need, so now he is sharing all his earnings of knowledge and spiritual joy and happiness with all human beings, which is their true desire and all are hankering thereafter. In return to his great giving to the lay and ignorent householders, the monk also gets his bare necessities of life, food, drink, etc, etc. in return from them Thus whether one is a house-holder or a monk social relationship and interdependence in every order and sphere of life has been recognised and harmony is maintained for which purpose a code of practical conduct (achar) has been prescribed by the old Jaina Seers
Renunciation or Vairagya is thus not one aspect of life initiation into monks order of life) only, but the whole life of restrain and control over thoughts, emotions, will, and impulses 10 order to control his outward unworthy actions—both in the estimation of the peoples and from the point of view of Karma-bandh Initiation to Manks'order of life under the process of renunciation or Vairagya is thus the
39
| SR No. | 010772 |
| Book Title | Ratnamuni Smruti Granth |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Vijaymuni Shastri, Harishankar Sharma |
| Publisher | Gurudev Smruti Granth Samiti |
| Publication Year | 1964 |
| Total Pages | 687 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Classification | Book_Devnagari |
| File Size | 21 MB |