ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 529

teaches us that the layman should not speak a lie. He is also expected not to reveal the secrets of others, accusing somebody without any justification, writing counterfeit documents, playing tricks in weighing and measuring and so on. (ibid. 55-56).
The third vow is Acaurya vrata, which means not to appropriate to him what belongs to somebody else without his express permission. He should not purchase the stolen property, should not encourage and praise thieves, should not purchase the property in cheaper rates, should not indulge in illegal export and import business, should not adulterate at all and so on. (ibid. 57-58). The 4th vow is Svad rasanto avrata, which means to keep satisfaction with one's own wife or husband without any sexual craving for other women or men. Celibacy is the great force and potential aid to selfrealization. He is expected to avoid irrepressible yearning for sexual intercourse etc. (59-60). The 5th vow is Aparigraha vrata, which means to have the limited possessions, which are root cause of sins. Such possessions are like territories, houses, ornaments, utensils, gold, silver coins, grains, animals, men, women, quadrupeds, clothes, conveyances etc. (ibid.61-62).
The G avratas are three, namely Diigvrata, Anarthadandavrata, and Bhogopabhogaparim avrata (ibid. 67-90). Of these, the Anarthadandavrata is not to commit unnecessary of purposeless moral offence, such as talking ill of others, preaching evil, facilitation of destruction (His-prad na). purposeless mischief (Pram dacarita), and faulty reading (Duhsruti). In fact, it would include all acts which denigrate others or through which others are hurt or deprived of liberty. (ibid. 67-81).
The four Siksvratasbid. 91-121) are intended to prepare the aspirant gradually for the discipline of ascetic life. They are: 1) Sm yika (to contemplate on the self and attainment of equanimity), 2) Proşadhopav sa (to keep fast on the eighth and the fourteenth day of each fortnight of the month, 3) Bhogopabhoga parim avrata (Putting the limit daily on enjoyment of consumable and nonconsumable things for that day), and 4) Atithisa vibh gavrata (to entertain some ascetic or needy person with a portion of food who happens to come uninvited.). Samantabhadra prescribed the four
ik vratas in a slight different form: De avak ika, Sm yika, Pro adhopav sa, and Vaiyavrtya. In Ratnakara dar vak c ra, verse 90. There is no much difference. These ik vratas are to practice the ascetic life. The cryas show their progressive trends in fixing them depending on the various regions, their needs, and times. D na or gift is one of them. It has played the significant role all along the course of the history of Jainism Somadevasuri in his Yasastilakacampu (43.765-852) considered at length regarding p tra (the recipient), D tra (the giver), D tavya (the thing to given, D navidh na (the method of giving), and D naphala (the fruit of giving). All the Jain thinkers are of view that what is given should be for the pleasure of giving or for the spiritual rise and self-restraint of ascetics. The householders may also be considered for charity purpose on their genuine needs.
iii). The third category is of the S dhakar vaka. The S dhakar vaka is expected to observe the Sallekhan, the spiritual death in Jain tradition. This third stage is very close to that of an ascetic where the subjugation of the senses is conducive to the removal of passions. Samantabhdara says in the Ratnakara dar vak c ra that
Upasarge d rbhik e jarasir jyca nihpratik re. Dharm ya tan vimocanam h sallekhan m ry (5.1)
Who observes the Sallekhan is called mahr vaka. He is defined as making the physical body and the internal passions emaciated by abandoning their sources gradually at the approach of death with pleasure and not by force for various reasons one decides to perform Sallekhan . According to the Ratnakara dar vak c ra and Bhagavati rdhan, the old age, physical weakness, famine, incurable disease, calamities etc, are such reasons, which render the performance of va yakas impossible. It is also called Sam dhimara a. Samantabhadra has dealt with the concept in fifth chapter in 15 verses.
This is an important and interesting feature of the Jain householder and spiritual aspirants. Some scholars are of opinion that Sallekhan is a sort of suicide, since there is voluntary severance of life etc, but this is not correct, as there is no passion. The person who kills himself by means of passion, weapon etc. swayed by attachment, aversion or infatuation etc. commits suicide. But he who
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