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Langoti (loincloth) at least to cover his private part. The saint agreed but later on found that he needs two, one for wearing and the other for washing. One day he saw the loincloth kept for drying was being eaten away by a rat. So to protect the loincloth from rat/s, he kept a cat to keep the rat/s away. Subsequently he realized that the cat needs milk. So he kept a cow and on a field and back to square one i.e. to live like a farmer, the situation which he had long ago renounced. So he gave up even the loincloth.
Possessions are of two types namely
Internal the tainted state of soul i.e. attachment (greed and deceitfulness) and aversion (anger and arrogance) termed as psychical.
External - own physical body, family and friends, moveable and immoveable property, food grains, servants and even social status.
Basically Parigraha arouses from within. It pertains more to one's thoughts and attitudes than to objects. On the other hand, apparent Parigraha is aroused from without. External objects are more obvious causes of apparent Parigraha. Both types of possessions are classified into two and fourteen types respectively. These include all external objects of attachment, which hinder liberation and happiness as the individual is always possessed of a feeling of owning (mine) and acquiring more to fan his greed for possessions.
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Desires are endless like the sky and they can never be satisfied for any person fully82. The more you get, the more you want, desires increase with every gain. Even Mahatma Gandhi said "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs but not for even one man's greed".
Attitude of possessiveness /greed also gives rise to the feeling of acquisitiveness i.e. to acquire more or to maintain and enhance possessions that creates disturbance in the mind of the individual and a taint on the soul.83
We find that all acts of mundane people are related to body first i.e. to make it enjoy comfort / pleasure by satisfying its needs for food, shelter, wellness, keeping it attractive etc. Such acts
Gandhi & Jainism | Pg.255
