Aparigraha the Humane Solution

Author(s): Kamla Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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APARIGRAHA - THE HUMANE SOLUTION
travel which may be favourable for environmeñt-protection. Upabhogaparibhoga-parimaņa vrata means limiting conspicuous consumption - in other words consumerism. If icchā-parimāņais determination, upabhoga paribhoga-parimāņa is its implementation, anarthādanda viramanvrata also refers to the limitation of mindless accumulation of things and other articles of consumption that are instrumental in provoking a violent attitude.
Strangely, violation of the vow of non-possession does not degrade the individual in the eyes of the society; on the contrary he gets respect and place in the society whereas for violation of other vows such as non-violence, truth, non-stealing and chastity the individual is downgraded and in some cases ostracised. A murderer or a thief or an adulterous person would not be given a place in society, but a different treatment is meted out to a parigrahi'. A person having too much wealth is seen as a punyātmā who has done good deeds in his past life. Thus, society needs to check its strange behaviour more objectively and ethically. The Buddhist view
Unlike Jainism and the Pätañjal yoga system where it holds the fifth place, aparigraha is not included in the five fold scheme of principles of morality (pancaśīlas) as it has the fifth place in Jainism and Pātañjala yogasystem. The fifth śīla in Buddhism is avoidance of intoxicants (Sūra mereya-madya pramādatthāna virati). But it occupies a significant place in Buddhist morality and in the code of conduct of the Buddhist monks and nuns. Buddhism and Jainism are the back bone of Śramanic culture. No Śramanic culture would survive without giving due importance to aparigraha, since it is a culture of renunciation. Aparigraha is thus included in the ten sikkhăpadas or ten śīlas for the monks in Buddhism, where it is called jāta-rūpa-rajat-pațiggahanavirati meaning that the monk is to abstain from accepting gold, silver and money. If he does not abstain from accepting these, or if he asks others to do so or even uses that which has been accumulated by him or others, he is accused of 1. Khu. Pātha - Dasasikkhāpadas.