Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

Author(s): Padamchand Shastri, N L Jain
Publisher: Veer Seva Mandir Trust

Page 12

The text of 'Charitra Sara' (Essence of Conduct), p 19 states that possession is the birth place of all kinds of sins. It is the birth place of passions like anger etc., sorrowful and cruel meditations, five sins like violence etc. and fear also.
The text of 'Tattvanushasana' (Discipline of Reality), verses 16-173 state.
"The 'I-ness' and 'my-ness' originate from delusion associated with wrong faith. These two lead to attachment and aversion in the Jivas. The passions and quasi-passions originate from them leading to activities resulting in sins like vitality harming etc."
In practice also, it is necessary that religion of non-violence should be catalysed by compassion, kindness and affection etc. and it must be nourished by ten kinds of duties of forgiveness, humility, straightforwardness and greedlessness etc. through mind, speech and body in the form of committed, commissioned and consented. There seems to be instigation of compassion and kindness etc. in the currently following of non-violence, but there are deficiencies in them with respect to other duties. It does not matter whether the above non-violence is related with votary or monk. The main cause for violence is carelessness only as stated in Svayambhu-stotra (Hymn of the Soul) by Samantbabhadra“.
The minor or fine violence is also incurred due to alien entities. Hence, the possessive nature causing violence should be renounced. It is stated in Purushartha-siddhi-upaya, verse 49 that the soul does not incur even the minor violence based on alien entities. Still, one should renounce possession-the home of violence for purification of volitions.
It could be asked if the Jain culture does not have the prominence of'non-violence is the supreme religions', why Acharya has given the first place to it in his aphorism 7.1 defining Vratas or Vows: