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Non-Stealing
105
stolen can be classified into six major varieties. These are : (1) 'alpa' (small in quantity), (2) 'bahu' (large in quantity), (3) 'aņu' (small in size or value), (4) 'sthūla' (large in size or value), (5) 'sacitta' (animate), and (6) 'acitta' (inanimate). All these six kinds of objects can be stolen through mind, speech or body, so that the stealing of objects is of eighteen kinds. Again, these eighteen types of the acts of stealing can be committed either by one's ownself, or by asking some one else to commit them, or by appreciating some one who has already committed an act of stealing. In this manner the offence of stealing may be committed by the monks in fifty four ways. It is now obvious that the classification is comprehensive enough to include all the types of offences (major or minor or even very trivial) which could be committed by the monks.
The Mahavrata
Now, the monks being on a higher spiritual platform than the laity, tbey observe the complete vow of non-stealing, they abstain from all the fifty four types of stealing, major or minor, without making allowance for even the slightest type of stealing, or more appropriately speaking adattādāna. The ‘mahāvra ta' is thus termed as 'sabbão-addinnādānāo-veramaņam', meaning that the monks take the vow to avoid appropriating, or using anything, which they have not been given, or allowed its use by the lawful proprietor. This goes to the extent that the Jaina monk or nun, even if starving, would never pick up even a wild fruit from the ground (of course it implies another sin of hurting the life existent in the vegetable or fruit and thus leading to the violation of the vow of nonviolence), nor would he or she use even a blade of dry grass lying about him or her (this does not involve violence because it does not have life), nor even a stone, because he or she finds no one to give these objects to him or her, or a permission to use the objects. If he or she confronts such a situation, it is customary even now that the monk or nun is supposed to get
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