Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

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

Page 21

attachment is the main cause in giving and taking of external materials. The acharyas had the sense that those liberatable beings should desist from activities and move towards detachment or non-activity.
In this context, let us look at the definition of vows to see whether the acharyas have defined them in terms of activity or non-activity. In my opinion, they have defined them on the basis of detachment. For example, the first aphorism of the seventh chapter of Tattavartha Sutra (7.1).states:
हिंसानृतस्तेयाबह्मचर्यापरिग्रहेभ्यो विरतिव्रत। It means that a vow means desistance from or indifference to five sins like violence etc. It directs us to be indifferent toward the sins. There is no indication about any kind of engagament in them. The acharyas state:
(1) Desistence from violence is a vow. (ii) Desistance from falsity, stealth and illicit sex is a vow. (ü) Desistence from possessions is a vow.
They do not say that engagement in non-violence etc. is a vow. It means that when one becomes free from the sins of violence upto possession, it will automatically result in manifestation of non-violence etc. However, even if the individual engages himself in non-violence etc., he does not get fully desistance from possessions. The only difference will be that he will be engaged in auspicity rather than inauspicity earlier. If the Jiva wishes to purify himself, he should desist not only from inauspicity, but he should also not engage himself in auspicious also. He should stay in himselfor absorb himself in his true nature.
Wherever there is engagement, there is possessiveness or karmic influx. In contrast, wherever there is dis-engagement, the heavy load of possession is lightened and, further, one gets completely away from it when there is total dis-engagement. It is stated in 'Samaya Sara'19 that the attached or engaged one binds karmas while the dis-engaged one gets freed from bondage.