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earlier. The vow of non-stealing include avoiding purchase of articles at lower price and sale at higher price, taking forgotten or excavated articles, abetment of theft, receipt of stolen articles, adulteration, use of false weights and measures, violation of state rules viz., tax evasion. This vow also strengthens vow of nonviolence as many conflicts are on account of trangressions of this vow of non stealing.
Non-Possessions (Aparigraha) :
This vow enjoins that all types of material possessions should be reduced to bare minimum. The material possessions include land, gold, silver, jewels, food grains, live-stock, servants, clothes and other necessary and luxury items. Shramanik monks even today, demonstrate the principle of least worldly possession i.e. non-consumerism or Aparigraha. This vow is against consumerism and is very important in present context of growing consumerism. These days the very definition of economic growth and quality of life or standard of living is higher and higher consumerism. Such a quality of life, based on unbridled and indiscriminate consumption will be end of life itself. The modern concept of development and growth is contradictory to environment preservation. On the one hand we express love and concern for welfare of sons, grandsons and posterity and on the other hand we are consuming and exhausting all resources at such a speed that nothing will be left for them. Since beginning of industralisation we have consumed so much that there should be restraint for the sake of future generations. If the present trend of consumerism continues we will not only soon exhaust all material resources but make soil, water and air so much polluted that life may not be possible. This vow of non possession i.e. minimum consumption offers an easy solution to the formidable problem of environment degradation. Many conflicts and wars are because of transgression of this vow i.e. desire for possession of more land, money and material. This vow is therefore also related with vow of non-violence.
The great Indian mathematician Srinivas Ramanujam
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