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THE JAINA ASCETIC
The Five Great Vows of Ascetics. We may now examine the famous five vows taken by all ascetics. They resemble the first five of the layman's twelve vows, and this accordance bears witness to the fact that these are the five points in the Jaina religion which are
to be regarded as of supreme importance. i. Ahim- The first vow the Jaina monk takes is that he will never
destroy any living thing. This is also the first vow that both Buddhist and Brāhman monks take, and it was the resemblance between the vows that led people for so long to deny the early origin of Jainism.1
The Jaina ascetic takes a vow of Non-killing (Ahivisā), which is described as follows:
sā.
"Not to destroy life, either five-, four-, three-, or two-sensed, or immovable (i. e. one-sensed), even through carelessness, is considered as keeping the vow of non-killing.' 2
There are five buttressing clauses (Pañca Bhāvanā), the remembrance of which assists a sādhu to keep this vow. First (Iryā samiti or samai), a monk must be careful never to run the risk of breaking the vow in walking : for instance he must walk by trodden paths, in which the presence of any insect could be detected. He must also (Bhāṣā samiti or Vatiin parijāņāi), be watchful in his speech and always speak in gentle, kindly ways, such as could never give rise to quarrels or murders. If he were not careful as to the alms he received (Eşaņā samiti or Aloi pāņa bhoyaņa), he might infringe some of the forty-two rules as to receiving alms, e.g. by accepting food containing living insects. When a monk receives or keeps anything that is necessary for religious duties, he must see (Ādānanikṣepaņā samiti
1 The whole question has been authoritatively discussed by Dr. Jacobi, S.B. E., xxii, pp. xix ff.
? The words resemble those of the layman's vows with the addition of Ekendriya'.
