Aparigraha the Humane Solution

Author(s): Kamla Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 84

76
APARIGRAHA - THE HUMANE SOLUTION
farms and houses, (kshetravastu), gold and silver (hiranya-suvarna), wealth and corn (dhana-dhānya), bipeds and quadrupeds (dvipada and catuspada) and other requisites such as utensils and household articles(kupya-dhātu).' This list includes almost everything a householder needs for himself and his family for normal living in a society. The duty of the householder lies in limiting all his possessions and consequently curbing his limitless desires to consume and possess, otherwise his possessions and his desires would be endless. In this sense of limitation of these possessions the vow of the householder is called aņuvrata (partial limitation of possessions) as against the mahāvrata of the monks - complete abstention from possessions.
The householder is enjoined not to keep possessions beyond a certain limit which he himself has vowed to keep, and he is supposed to observe this vow truly through mind, speech and body. At the same time he is not enjoined to ask others to abstain from keeping similar possessions, i.e., the vow of limitations of possessions is only for himself and not necessarily for making others follow this. This simply implies that the vows of the householders are less stringent as compared to those of the monks. The Upāsakadaśānga sūtra cites examples of limiting of possessions by the prominent upăsakas (householders) as Upasaka Ananda one of the most well known disciples of Mahāvīra. There is no reference of Ananda, asking others to curb their possessions. This is the Svetambara version of this vow. The Digambara version also is quite the same in essence. According to Ratnakarandaśrāvakācāra of Subhcandra parigraha-parimāņa vrata enjoins the householder to limit his possessions of cash, grain etc., and adopt complete detachment from all that crosses the boundary line of the limits imposed by himself. Transgressions (aticarās) of the vow
Aticāras are also called pramāṇātikramas, meaning crossing the boundary line of possessions. Jaina texts, specially Pratikramana Sūtra, mention five types of violations of the self-imposed limits of possessions of five categories which are mentioned above. For example Upāsaka 1. Śrāvaka Pratikramana Sūtra - 5th vow