Fundamentals Of Jainism

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Veer Nirvan Bharti

Page 63

NIRJARA
55
emptiness and negativity which are a sure sign of failure in the spiritual realm.
Of the rules prescribed for laymen and saints, those, suitable for the former are divided into twelve vratas (vows) and eleven pratimas, in addition to thirty-five minor directions for general conduct enjoined on every house-holder.
The layman must begin with the avoidance of the five aticharas (short-comings) of faith, namely, (i) entertainment of doubt after once being convinced of truth, (ii) desire to belong to another faith, (iii) beginning to doubt the efficacy of the Law (dharina) in moments of suffering, (iv) praising hypocrites, and (v) constant association with those known to follow a wrong faith. This will enable him to observe the vows which mark the first stage of Right Conduct. The twelve vows* are :
(1) To refrain from killing and destroying. Killing means
the forcible separation of the body of gross matter from the two other bodies, the karmâna and the taijasa. It is forbidden, because it is the source of pain to the living being concerned, and also because it betrays. ignorance of the nature of soul in the destroyer. Himsa is the immediate cause of hard-heartedness, and leads to re-births in hells and to suffering and pain generally. This vow extends to all kinds of killing whether it be done for sport, science (vivisection), dress (skin, feathers, and the like), food, private revenge, religion (sacrificss), comfort (destruction of insects, and the like), as a punishment to evil doers (capital sentence), in self-defence, or for any other purpose. A king who fights in defending his empire, however, does not violate this vow, for his motive is to protect his subjects. The vow also extends to such acts as tying up animals too tightly, beating them mercilessly, cutting thcir limbs, overloading them or neglecting to feed them properly. Of the five types of
*The first five of these vows are called anu vratas (minor or less rigid vows), the next three guna vratas (guna=qualities) because they widen the scope of the five apu vratas; and the last four shiksha vratas (study yratas) because of their being helpful in study and meditation.