Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

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

Page 13

However, it should be remembered that just as one has to move through the downstairs to move upstairs, similarly, one has to pass through observance of five minor vows (Anuvratas) to move towards major vows (Mahavratas) in order to acquire total non-possessive state. In the series of major vows, the step of non-possession is the last and best. The earlier steps of non-violence etc. are left over when one reaches the final step. The living beings, who practice the four vows completely, have to toil hard and take a long and difficult route for renouncing the passions or attachment towards them. It is only then, they reach the twelfth spiritual stage and acquire full detachment. In contrast, the completion of the vows of non-violence etc. takes place earlier in the seventh spiritual stage or later in the 10th spiritual stage when non-origination of attachments etc.occurs and non-violence appears. It means that possession has deep roots which are not crossed over even through the complete observance of major vows and one has to work harder to uproot it. This is the reason, why nonpossessiveness has been placed in the end whose completion was resolved at the time of initiation.
It seems that in post-Mahaviran period, Jains became lax in conduct and wanted to avoid little difficult restraint of non-possession. Hence, they made it secondary and the basic Jain culture was restricted to practices of non-violence etc. This is the reason, whereas we find lacs and crores of sky-clad monks wandering in anciant eras as stated in biographic exposition texts, there has been a gradual decrease in their number since post-Mahaviran period. The position is that the number of possession-renouncer Digambara monks existing today can be counted by fingers only. The reason is that the people have neglected non-possessiveness as the basic Jain culture and they are trying to nurse the culture of non-violence, donation, compassion and kindness etc. which is nourished by possessiveness. This has resulted in heavy accumulation of possessions by just or unjust means. They now earn lacs and donate merely thousands. This leads to growth of