ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 148

SCHOOL
OF
SELF STUDY IS THE SUPREME AUSTERITY
Farenga
तप
be separated from the good. The equivalent term for good in Jainism is Subha or auspicious/meritorious. The criterion of what is right etc. is the greater balance of good over bad is to e. maximize Ahimsa over himsā as the right-making characteristic. How? What is morally right for a certain agent in a certain situation? Or what is the criterion of the rightness of action?16
Based on the above, Jain holy texts give a set of rules to be observed in our daily life to maximize subha and minimize asubha. These form as a guideline (as the five minor vows or annvrats) and hence should be broken with extreme care and repentance taken later on to correct them. These include attitudes of carefulness and restraint in our daily life:17
✓ The five Minor Vows (basis minimize himsā and maximize Ahimsa) namely: Ahimsa (non killing), satya (speaking the truth), acaurya (non stealing), parigraha-parimāņa (limiting possessions), brahmacarya (restraint in sexual activities)
✓ Regime of minimizing inputs (food), pratikramana or self criticism (audit) and prayścitta (repentance or taking corrective measure like daily audit of performance and take corrective action), self study, humility and meditation as the more intensive rules to annihilate the past wrongs.
To see their importance in management, we shall briefly review the five minor vows indicated above18:
i. Ahimsa: It entails avoiding intentional violence and minimizes unintentional violence by observing carefulness and restraint. The flaws of this vow to be avoided are: To pierce body parts, to tie down the living beings, to torture, to overload and to limit food intake. This can be seen in organization management as the key for transparency, equality in treatment of employees/suppliers/customers/shareholders.
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
ii. Satya or speaking the truth: It entails avoiding untruth pertaining to ownership; Forgery or adulteration of goods and documents; Misrepresentation as witness; divulging secrets of others and using harsh language and so on.
16 Methods used by Mahāvīra for social change by Prof K. C. Sogani Study Notes of ISJS
17 Basis of Ethics by Shugan C. Jain Study Notes of ISJS
18 Ratnakaranda-śrāvakācāra by Samantabhadra, Published by Vitraga Vani Trust, Tikamgarh MP. verses II.1 to
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