Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

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

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possession. It will be absorbed only in passionlessness or detachment. Hence, non-possessivenes is the basic Jain culture and other moral vows like non-violence etc. originate from this quality. There should, thus, be no objection in admitting this fact. 2. POSSESSION AND KARMA : SYNONYMS
The Jain culture basically proscribes activity or attachment and prescribes inactivity or detachment. The proscription is based on the fact that there is alround earning or bondage of auspicious or invauspicious karmas in activities. And the karmic bondage means worldly cycles. In contrast, the detachment leads to salvation. If considered deeply, it can be stated that activity itself is not only a kind of possessions but it causes possessiveness also. This is why, whereas 'Tattvartha Sutra', 6.1 (Formulae on Reals) of Umaswami states that yoga or activity is the action or functioning due to mind, speech and body in the first aphorism, he also states in the second aphorism 6.2 that activity leads to karmic influx which is the cause of worldly life. Had activity been the cause in purification of Jiva, the aphorist would not have composed the second aphorism. He would have included activities in stoppage or shedding f karmic influx. In this context, we should look at the definition of possession as per 'Dhavala' 12.4-218.
The scriptural texts mention two kinds of derivation of the word 'Parigraha' (possession). (i) Parigraha is that which is received. It means external materials
like fields or grains etc. (i) 'Parigraha' is the instrument of reception which is the soular
volition which is the cause of reception of external materials. Out of these two derivations, the acharyas have preferred the meaning resulting from the second derivation in comparison to that from first one. That is why, they have given prominence to attachment or delusion while defining possession. It is because the activity of