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JAINA ETHICS
Just as one's life is dear to oneself, the birds and beasts have love for their own lives. Every one should therefore refrain from destroying animal life. 36
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The objection to honey is based on the ground that innumerable tiny eggs and organisms are killed in the act of pressing honey from the comb. Some writers have included butter as one among the prohibited articles of food as being abhakṣya due to the presence of invisible organisms.
Gunavratas
The three guṇavratas mentioned by Samantabhadra are digvrata, anarthadaṇdavrata and bhogopabhoga parimāņa. These are intended to impose restraints of long duration on the activities of a house-holder so that the chances of his committing transgressions of other vows is considerably, if not totally, reduced. They are supplementary vows which aid the individual in his observance of the anuvratas.
i) Digvrata
There are ten directions : East, West, North, South, North-East, South-East, North-West, South-West, Up and Down. One should fix the limit with reference to well-known objects in each of the directions and decide for himself that he would not transgress that limit. He who thus limits his activities to the prescribed limits is sure of observing the vow of non-injury fully as regards the area lying beyond the limits fixed by him. He would be able to exercise self-restraint in all matters in relation to the area beyond the limits. There would be no occasion for breach of any of the vows. The limitations thus fixed may be for the entire life-time or for limited period of life. In fixing the directions, he may take into account the nature of his occupations and his business requirements. In such an event there would be a limit on greed also.
Jain Education International
There are five ways in which the transgressions of the vow can occur : i) Moving in the upward direction beyond the limits set by oneself (ūrdhva-dikpramāṇātikrama). If a person has
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