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PÄP (SOURCES OF SINS) 05. Parigraha: Attachment to worldly possessions is known as 'Parigraha'. Unlimited possessions and hoarding things beyond a person's basic needs is considered a sin. This occurs when we try to accumulate more than our needs. We should learn to live happily with what our needs are rather than accumulating more just because we like those things. This is easy to say, but rather hard to follow. We should remember that unnecessary accumulation is the root cause of all unrest and keeps our craving alive for more possessions. Therefore, we should be content and should learn to control our desires.
06. Krodha: It means anger. Whenever we do not get what we want, we get upset and mad, and depending upon the situation either we throw things, use harsh words or have negative thoughts. When a person is angry, he cannot distinguish between right and wrong or good and bad. To overcome this anger, we should develop tolerance. This way, we can stay calm even if things do not look quite right. If we can achieve that, there will be no place for quarrels around us and we will be able to live peacefully. One should replace anger with forbearance and tolerance.
07. Mäna: It means the ego. Egoism, pride, arrogance, self-admiration, and conceit are all synonymous. The ego means thinking too much of the self. Due to the ego, we tend to look down upon others. Ego can be overcome by cultivating a sense of humbleness.
08. Mäyä: It means to deceive, cheat, or mislead. Deceit, cunning, and Mäyä are synonymous. When we cheat and succeed in doing so, it leads to ego because we feel proud of what we have done even though it was wrong. When we get caught cheating, then we get into big trouble. So instead of cheating, we should be honest.
09. Lobha: It means greed. When we have enough to meet our needs but we want more for the sake of having it, it is called greed. We should realize that there is no end to our desires. We should not forget that when we do not get what we want, we get angry. We become jealous of someone who may have what we want. To get what we want, we may use all means from buying it to deception, stealing or even killing. Most of the wars between nations are the result of greed of one to take over the other. Therefore, instead of being greedy let us be content and share with others what we have. If everybody does that, then there will be peace and harmony among us.
10. Räga: Räga means attachment. Suppose you went shopping at a clothing store and saw a T-shirt that was cute. You liked it very much and you wanted to buy it. You checked its price tag and it was high. You thought, "Well, I will wait until it goes on sale." You kept on checking every two to three days to see if it was on sale. Your going back to the store was due to
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JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE I
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