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ment of the race as is in the Brāhmaṇical conception, but the lack of capacity of ordinary people to accept such difficult course of conduct as celibacy, leaving aside however the Tantra faith which claims that sexual intercourse is means of enlightenment. The married householder is also supposed to lead a life of chastity.
The third precept of kāmamithyācāra-virati typifies the life of the householder. This precept takes almost the same form as is seen in the fourth vow of 'sthūlamaithuna viramaņavrata’ of the Jainas, though Buddhism lacks all those details which are found in the latter. Here, too, kāmamithyācāra virati? of the householders means faithfulness to one's wife. It is said, “A wise man should avoid unchastity, as if it were a burning pit of live coals, one who is not able to live in a state of complete celibacy should not commit adultery, i. e. should not violate the wife of another." The householder is asked to be faithful to his own wife both physically and mentally, he should not think of any other woman, “If you speak to a woman, do it with pureness of heart....say to yourself, placed in this sinful world, let me be a spotless lily, unsoiled by the mire in which it grows, is she old, regard her as your mother, is she honourable as your sister, is she of small account as your younger sister; is she a child, treat her with reverence and politeness."4 It has further been stressed and pointed out, "One who is mad after a woman or other immoral acts, and is busy all the time in spending his earnings on undesir1. Bfty 1979* FotÀI forraffazat alfari
-Aṁguttara, 5. 179. 2. अयं गहपति कामभोगी इमेहि द्वीहि ठानेहि गारव्हो इमिना एकेन ठानेन पासंसो।
--Ibid Vol. IV, p. 243. अबह्मचरियं परिवज्जेय्य अंगारकासु जलितं व विझू । असम्भुणन्तो पन बह्मचरियं परस्सदारं नातिक्कमेय्य ।
-S. N., Dhammikasutta, 21. 4. Sūtra of 42 Sections,
3.
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