Jain Journal 1998 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 24

SEKHAR : THE ŚRAMAŅA RESPONSE TO THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT 55
Thus the Jaina ethical literature elaborately deals with the way has to acquire the means of livelihood. Whatever be one's profession one cannot escape the parigraha or the grabbing tendency. Hence one has to keep a check on oneself mainly in the way one acquires wealth and other possessions. First of all, the Jaina householder chooses a profession that involves least violence to sub-human beings. 85 This does not mean that he can conduct himself in such a way as to do violence to human beings-his partners in business, his servants, the customers etc. 86 Secondly he takes to Dig-vrata, a vow which literally means control of directions. This vow restricts not only one's movements to avoid violence to the maximum extent but also to minimise greed. It gives a limit for freedom of movement going outside the limit by climbing, ascending mountains, descending into the well or underground storehouse etc., entering a cave etc.87 and a corollary to this is the Desavakarka vrata, the vow of Imiting the extent of territory for movements and objects of senses.88
Thirdly, he takes to Bhogapabhogaparimāna vrata or a vow which puts a limit to his use of objects in order to minimise attachment to them. They include meat and honey, intoxicants, ginger, faddish, carrot, butter, unsuitable means of conveyance or unsuitable ornaments, the use of bizarre dresses. 89 The householder should avoid the use of 5 udumbara fruits90 and abandon the use of non-sentient but lifesubstances like roots, fruits, seeds etc. without boiling them.91 Finally a Jain householder is expected to fast on astami, caturdasi and pūrnimā.92 Āsādhara, Vasunandin, Amrtacandra and others have
85. Fifteen forbidden trades are listed in Sāgāradharmāmrta of Āsādhara, R.
Williams, Jaina Yoga, London, 1963, p. 117-121. 86. There is a general impression that the Jains, being a business community,
have an objective of accumulating wealth by any means. There are several ideas and values in Jaina ethics to show that they are consistent with the spirit of capitalism (Arvind K. Agarwal, Jaina Ethics and Spirit of Capitalism- A critical reappraisal of Weber in Ideal, Ideology and Practice, Studies in Jainism, ed. N.K. Singhi, Printwell Publishers, Jaipur, 1987, p. 199-202; also see another article in the same book Jainism and its
Perversion in Actual Practice' by Tarachand Agarwal, p. 124-136. 87. Tattvārthasūtra, ibid. 7.25. 88. Kartikeyānupreksā, 367 of Swami Kartikeya, with Sanskrit comm. of
Subhacandra, ed. A.N. Upadhye, Agas, Raja Chandra Ashram, 1960. 89. Sāgāradharmāmsta, ibid., 5.15-17, of Āsādhara, Manikacandr.
Digambara Jaina Granthamālā, No. 2, Bombay, 1917. 90. Purusārthasiddhyupāya, ibid. 61. 91. Kārtikeyanupreksā, ibid., 379. 92. Siddhasena on Tattvärthasūtra, 7.16, Surat, 1930.
www.jainelik