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Three Merit Vows (Guna-vrats):
6. Dik Vrata 7. Bhoga-Upbhoga Vrata 8. Anartha-danda Vrata
- Limited area of activity vow - Limited use of consumable and non-consumable items vow - Avoidance of purposeless sins vow
Four Disciplinary Vows (Siksha-vratas): 9. Samayik Vrata
- Meditation vow of limited duration 10. Desavakasika Vrata
- Activity vow of limiting space 11. Pausadha Vrata
- Ascetic's life Vow of limited duration 12. Atithi Samvibhaga Vrata - Limited charity vow
1. Non-violence Limited Vow (Ahimsa Anuvrat):
In this vow, a person must not intentionally hurt any living being (plants, animals, human beings etc.) or their feeling either by thought, word or deed, himself, or through others, or by approving such an act committed by somebody else..
Intention in this case applies selfish motive, sheer pleasure and even avoidable negligence.
He may use force, if necessary, in the defense of his country, society, family, life, property, religious institute.
His agricultural, industrial, occupational living activities do also involve injury to life, but it should be as minimum as possible, through carefulness and due precaution.
Four stages of violence are described:
Premeditated Violence: To attack someone knowingly Defensive Violence: To commit intentional violence in defense of one's own life Vocational Violence: To incur violence in the execution of one's means of livelihood Common Violence: To commit violence in the performance of daily activities
Premeditated violence is prohibited for all. A householder is permitted to incur violence defensively and vocationally provided he maintains complete detachment. Common violence is accepted for survival, but even here, one should be careful in preparing food, cleaning house, etc.
This explains the Jain's practices of filtering drinking water, vegetarianism, not eating meals at night, and abstinence from alcohol. Nonviolence is the foundation of Jain ethics.
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