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IV. ACARA OF THE HOUSEHOLDER
principle. This is Parigraha-parimāṇāṇuvrata or the gross form of the vow of Aparigraha. We may say in passing that the householder's vow of Aparigraha would tend to annul the economic inequality rampant in society and thereby everybody will be able to get things of daily necessities at least. To-day, men and nations are striving for the enhancement of their wealth and territory at the cost of others with the consequence that the individual and national tensions are increasing. Parigraha is detrimental, when it engenders inordinate clinging. An attitude of a philanthropist is essential to the observance of the vow of Parigraha-parimāṇāṇuvrata. In order to sustain the purity of the vow, the violations of the limits regarding 1) house and land, 2) gold and silver, 3) cattle and corn, 4) male and female servants, and 5) clothes and utensils, should be avoided. Samantabhadra has spoken of the other breaches of the vow, namely, 1) the keeping of a larger number of vehicles than required, 2) accumulating necessary articles in large numbers, 3) expressing jealousy at the prosperity of another, 4) excessive greed, and 5) the over-loading of animals.3
HOUSEHOLDER'S LIFE AS A MIXTURE OF VIRTUE AND VICE: We have so far dealt with the nature of the five vices and the five Aṇuvratas. Violence, falsehood, stealing, unchastity, and acquisition are the different vices. They amount to a fall from the heights of mystical experience. The middle way is to lead the life of virtue. It is to be borne in mind that the three types of non-intentional Himsā, the Himsă of one-sensed Jīvas, the use of Savadya or sinful language, the act of sexual intercourse with one's own wife, the use of common things without permission, and the keeping of limited Parigraha-all these are householder's vices, which may be socially justifiable, but cannot be justified spiritually. In other words, looked at with the social eye, they are not regarded as vices, but the eye of spirituality considers them to be so. Thus, in the life of the householder pure virtue in the sense of mild passion is an impossibility; his life is always a mixture of virtue and vice. The condition of that householder who does not strictly follow the partial vows is pitiable. Virtue, in his life,
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1 Puru. 124 to 128; Ratna. Śrāva. 61; Vasu. Srava. 213; Amita. Srava. VI. 73; Kārtti. 340; Sāgā. Dharmā. IV. 61.
2 Puru. 187; Ta.su. VII. 29; Uvāsagadasão. I-49; Sāgā. Dharmā. IV. 64; Amita. Srava. VII. 7.
3 Ratna. Srava. 62.
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