Essence of Jainism Part 02

Author(s): Kushalchandravijay
Publisher: 108 jain Tirth Darshan Trust

Page 10

SHRI V.NEMI VIGNAN KASTURSURI SMRUTI SERIES
PART - II
THE TWELVE YOWS OF A HOUSE-HOLDER
Tivelve vows-rules of special Conduct of a Shravak :
(Preliminary) To hear and understand the truth is the first step. That is why one who hears teachings of Lord Mahavir is called a Shravak. The fruit of hearing is developing non-attachment 'virati'. It means abstaining from committing sin by taking a vow for it. The fruit of Virati is Moksha, the liberation from the cycle of births and deaths. The Lord has laid down that a sadhu observes Five Mahavrats (great vows), a 'Sarva-Virati' Dharma; while a house-holder observes the 'Desh-Virati' Dharma. The house-holder observes twelve vows, as he is not able to be a Sadhu and observe a full-fledged religion. The twelve Vratas are Five Anuvratas or lesser vows. Three Gunavratas the vows which support the first five the vows and Four Shikshavratas the disciplinary vows-i.e 5+3+4= 12.
All the Tirthankars have preached one Vrata-The vow of Non-violence, but in order to foster this prime Vrata, the above 12 Vratas are also prescribed. Being less stringent in practising than the Mahavratas, they are called anuvratas or lesser vows.
Non-violence is the highest religion. Non-violence means protecting all the six kinds of living organisms(Shadjivanikaya), which are mentioned below : (1) Prithvikaya (earth-beings) (2) Apakaya (water-beings) (3) Teukaya (fire-beings) (4) Vayukaya (wind-beings) (5) Vanaspatikaya (Vegetation-beings) and (6) the Traskaya (all moving-beings).
The complete protection of the life of these Six kinds of living Organisms is possible only by a Sadhu; but not by a house-holder, sadhus are asked to abstain from violence entirely. Their 'Ahimsa' is said to be 'twenty units' in value as compared to that of a house-holder, which is 1.25 units only. As one has to protect all six kinds of living orgainsms in the vow of non-violence, let us study these living organisms more carefully :
There are two types of living beings : (1) Trasa (moving) and (2) Sthavar (non-moving).