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JAINA ETHICS
Adulteration and use of false weights
tion with inferior stuff.
and measures have become cammon practices of trade.
Brahmacarya (Celibacy)
The fourth vow is brahmacarya or celibacy. Samantabhadra has stated that the vow consists in desisting from having sexual contact with other women and from abetting others to have such contact, for fear of incuring sin. A person ought to be content with a woman whom he has married in the presence of his preceptor and others. He should have no sexual desire or sensual look at other women.25 This vow differs from all others in its double formulation: positive in the sense of contentment with one's own wife (sva-dāra-santosa) and nagtive as avoidance of contact with the wives of others (a-para-dara-gamana).26
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Amritacandra is definitely of the view that sexual intercourse involves all round himsā. He likens the act to the insertion of a hot iron rod in a tube which is filled with sesamum seeds and which burns all the seeds; in the same way every intercourse kills a large number of living organisms which are constantly and continuously born in a vagina. Every indulgence of sex-passion due to lust brings about himsā.27 It is conceded by all writers that a house-holder should be content with his own wife, if he wants to observe this vow and abstain from even entertaining sexual desires with reference to other women.
Enjoyment of women betakes of the nature of affliction because like fever it brings on craving and delirium, and exhaustion of the body. The passionate pleasure of the encounter can give no real satisfaction. Two reasons are assigned for condemnation
Jain Education International
24 R. Williams has mentioned aticara3 of this vow given alike by Svetambaras and Digambaras. They are virtually covered by the five aticaras mentioned by Samantabhadra. They are: i, receiving stolen goods (stenahrtadana); ii) suborning of thieves (taskara-prayoga); iii) transgressing the limits of a hostile state (viruddha-rajyati-krama); iv) using false weights and measure; (kuta-tula kuta-mana); v) substitution of inferior commodities (tat-pratirupaza-vyavahara).
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