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Non-Stealing
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pronounced in all aspects of life, in this life and the lives. beyond, as Subhachandra proclaims : “If you really want to obtain spiritual happiness and to preserve your moral life, fame and character, and above all want to attain the supreme happiness in this life, and the life after, never get entangled in the net of stealing.” He repeats the same idea further by saying that one, 'who really desires riddance from this embroilment, never takes anything ungiven, a
The precept of non-stealing is not in anyway a later introduction. Even before Mahavira, in the time of Pārsvanātha, there were only four vows for the monks and nuns; in them 'non-stealing' (Addiņņādānão Veramaņam) was present as it is.3 At some place there is also a hint of existence of three vows only. However, Mahāvira also conceived it as essentially important, and he gave it the same place of importance in his fivefold scheme of the vows.
Stealing has been defined by Ācārya Umāsvāti in the Tattvārthasūtra. According to him any thing taken ungiven with attachment or 'pramada' (inadvertence) is stealing. 4 Abstinence from this is non-stealing. Pramāda or inadvertence is the essential characteristic of non-stealing.
1. 37 gefafgaatriya TU-TUTA, इह परलोकहितार्थं कल यत् चित्तेऽपि मा चौर्यम् ।
- Jãānārņava, 1.8.19, 2. T: HET GEHTES: artarafta Taît: स त्रिशुद्धयाति निःशंको नादत्त कुरुते मतिम् ।
-Ibid. 1.8.2. 3. Sthân. 4.1.266. 4. (i) ATTIET BETETİ FUI
- Tattvā. 7.15. (ii) 316TT..... aforementi
Praśna, 3,
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