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A Hand Book of Jainology
means of a vow discard all our sinful propensities that have been in us through countless janmas. "I do not have any connection with them". Only when we make such a determination the bondage of these karmas will end.
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Question: A man has not committed the sins of eating meat and violence even from his birth and he does not commit them, then how can that sin accrue to him? There is the proverb "Reap what you have sown".
Answer: This is a mere proverb. The Jain Dharma goes further and says "You will reap what you like". In other words, from the point of view of the heart, whatever sin it likes, even that is virtually committed and the karma relating to it binds the soul. For instance, in our practical life, we may be partners in a business concern. If we go away for six months on a pleasure-trip leaving the concern in the hands of our partners, and if some loss occurs, are we not responsible for it? Yes. If we cancel and resign our partnership before we go on a pleasure-trip, we will not be responsible for the loss that the concern may incur. In the same manner, if a man is absent from his house for twelve months, though he does not use water, he has to pay the Municipal taxes. If he gives information to the authorities before leaving, that he is not using water, and stops the inflow of water, he does not have to pay the tax. In the same manner, the weight of karmas keeps increasing in the absence of vows. This will not be so if he takes the necessary vows. Therefore, in this life that we have attained in the Jin shasan which teaches such a subtle doctrine, one great sadhana or endeavour should be to take vows even for five minutes, for a day, or a night or a week or a fortnight, or a month or a year and to live according to them throughout our life; otherwise owing to avirati or the absence of vows, unnecessarily, the weight of karmas increases. So, first we should take vows not to commit those sins such as hunting, meat-eating, gambling etc. Later, by means of vows we should place a limit on the sins we commit and discard all the others.
In an ordinary manner, Avirati or the absence of vows is of 12 kinds (1 to 6). Not having taken vows relating to the
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