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said to be both of physical and mental objects without the legal or willing permission of the owners to do so. It goes further to say that employing others to steal or encourage thieves (Kritakarita-anumodana are all same), smuggling, buying things at lower prices, mixing dissimilar objects (expensive and cheap) to sell at higher prices, avoiding or paying lower taxes or buying stolen things as stealing." Amritchandra said 'Stealing is violence as it hurts the person whose objects are being stolen and is undertaken under the influence of tainted emotions. He further says that even accepting things which are free by a monk is stealing unless given by its legitimate owner. 16 According to Samantabhadra the observer of the householder's vow of nonstealing, neither takes himself those things which are unoffered, placed, dropped, and forgotten by others nor gives them to anyone else." Somadeva holds that the underground property belongs to the king or the state; so also is the property of unknown ownership. Jainism also believes that to learn some art from a teacher, but when asked you say that you learnt it by yourself, is another kind of theft. Because this is forgetting the good that others did to you."19
Thus the views on Asteya of Gandhi and Jainacharyas are very similar.
Vow No 4: Brahmacharya or Celibacy / Chastity Brahmacharya implies to be in tune with Brahman i.e. God or pure soul. Observance of this vow implies total self restraint on all five senses i.e. words, thoughts, food and deeds at all times and in all places, as they are all interlinked. Celibacy involves abstinence from hearing provocative dialogues or to see provocative visual impressions, to eat stimulating foods or drinks, sexual intercourse of any type leading to experience. Celibacy thus practiced leads one to the absence of lust (sexual desire) even in the presence of most alluring stimulus. Celibacy
Gandhi & Jainism
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