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228 * Jain Conference Herald
[ July the mighty custom, he had to say: - " But the question would appear ot| be, who is going to bell the cat, who will brave the approbriuin inseparable froth the introducer of anything new, who will defy the heaver of the social half-brick, who will set a fashion going in Hyde Park that shall be benificial to social India as well ” ? When the might of custom is thus admitted the leader would have been nicely concluded in the words of Cod leridge:
........... Woe then to them, Who lay irrelevant hands upon his old House-furniture, the dear inheritance."
We have been indulging in making the foregoing quotations at some length to impress upon the minds of our readers the irresistible force of custom to which even the far advanced and enlightened European community submits at great inconvenience to itself. What theu to say of the grand force of an ancient sacred law which each and every member of society thinks it his highest duty not to infringe.
Directing our attention to the law prevailing in the temples of the sacred Shatrunjaya Hill about putting off leather shoes before entering the same, we ought to try to know the Shastric injunctions of the community to honor them and to abide by what has been commanded therein so long as we have to do with them. When we are unable to chiange a social custom which has got its foundation only in the whims and caprices of mortal man, without braving approbrium, how can we dare to lay our irrelevant hands upon the sacred law of a community and thereby wound the feelings of all concerned ? The Jain religion eujoins upon its followers :
1st, to observe the precept to refrain from the destruction of life ; 2nd, to observe the precept to refrain from falsehood ;
3rd, to observe the precept to refrain from taking that which is not his own ;'.
4th, to observe the precept to refrain from unlawful sexual intercourse; and
5th, to observe the precept to refrain from unbounded and unlawfuu thirst for riches.
The first precept is the inotto of Jainism and in accordance with it. the Jains are further directed not to adopt professions which cause destruction of life. They are forbidden to trade in honey, butter,
