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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
521
holders have to abandon killing innocent moving creatures and have to kill offending creatures with repentance (Jayana).
Innocent moving creatures are killed in two ways. (1) Intentionally and (2) for life necessity. Householders abandon intentional killing and kill for life-necessity with repentance and reluctance.
Intentional killing of innocent creatures is twofold. (1) Without reason (Nirapeksha). (2) With reason. In first type of intentional killing, one kills a creature without any reason mercilessly and in the case of killing or oppressing with reason beating or tieing a creature to a post etc. is included. Householders have to tame and maintain cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats etc. and they have to beat them sometimes. Similarly they have also to chastise sons and daughters; so they have to abandon intentional violence without reason and have to repent for violence with reason. This means one should try to avoid such act as far as possible.
If a monk's non-violence carries twenty units, a householder's non-violence carries about it units. Thus it is sixteen times smaller than that observed by monks still it is advantageous to observe such non-violence. A householder who observes this vow properly, has his heart overflowing with perpetual flow of compassion for all creatures and finally he becomes true friend of all the creatures of the world.
Non-violence is the highest moral principle in religion and so first vow is the acceptance of non-violence or non-killing. All other vows are as if sub-branches and offshoots of this great vow of ‘non-killing'. Non-killing is meant for protection and maintenance of life.
Second Vow : TELLING NO LIES IN GENERAL
Telling false is telling lies. This vow refrains one from telling lies. Following affirmation is to be made solemnly.
1. One should not tell lies regarding any information about bride
and the bridegroom. 2. One should not tell lies about creatures like cows, buffaloes, etc. 3. One should not tell lies about land, fields, etc.
One should not misappropriate other's deposited money. One should not give false witness in a court of law or in a court of arbitration.
