Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

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

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possessions due to sensual desires and they are always free from the religion of sense-control. Along with this, they also gain glory and prestige which is cherished by them. Had they not followed this path and would have been trying to nourish non-possessiveness, the Jain culture would, undoubtedly, have not suffered such a loss.
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Many scholars think that when the volitions of self are violent, all other sins like falsity, stealth, illicit sex etc. also are its forms. In addition, as possession also causes violence, it may also be called as violence, even if formally. Similarly, carelessness is also violence as it too causes it. We would like to point out to such scholars that the Jinstic sermons are very sharp and fine, they should be looked at with the same sharpness. Basically, just as the practice of cause and effect is separate, similarly, they are also different with respect to their existence. That is why, they have been designated as separate categories. In the current, the statement of carelessness as violence is just formal application of effect into cause. This has been stated with the indication that in all these activities, carelessness is prominent. This is the category of the maxim like, foods are our life '(Annam Vai Pranah), where foods have been shown as prominent in life by formalising effect into cause. Otherwise, had there been no difference between carelessness and violence, our acharyas would never have counted violence as separate from carelessness.
All the wrong faith, passions, quasi-passions, non-religious tales, senses and sleep etc. are included in possession only from which sins like violence etc. are originated causing harm to the soul.
The term 'Parigraha' means 'attachment' as per Umasvami3 and the term 'attachment' is defined in terms of activities of earning and preserving internal and external possessions as stated by Akalanka. Thus, all sins originate from attachment. Hence, the renunciation of attachment-based possession has been given prominence in Jain Culture.