Jaina Mysticism and Other Essays

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 46

householder who abstains himself from the sexual contacts with all other women except his nuptial partner is observing brahmacaryāņuvrata. Sex-passion is hiinsā and brahmcarya is ahimsā. The householder keeps himself away from adultery, prostitution, unnatural methods of sexual enjoyment, and the like.
3 (v). Aparigraha (Anuvrata-Mahāvrata) : Attachment to things is parigraha. Those who have a feeling of attachment to things in spite of their external renunciation are far from aparigraha; and those who have external things are not free from internal attachment. Thus if one is prone to remove internal attachment, one should correspondingly throw aside external possessions also. Attachment is a form of himsā and those who wish to practise ahimsā should avoid attachment. The householder is incapable of renouncing all parigraha; therefore he should limit the parigraha of wealth, cattle, corn, buildings, etc. This is parigraha-parimāņāņuvrata. We may say that the householder's vow of aparigraha would tend to annul the economic inequality rampant in society and thereby everybody will be able to get things of daily necessities at least. Today, men and nations are striving for enhancement of their wealth and territory at the cost of others with the consequence that the individual and national tensions are increasing. Parigraha is detrimental when it engenders inordinate clinging. This vow of aparigraha is a mean between capitalism and communism. It is a road to true socialism. The muni renounces all parigraha of worldly things. Thus he follows aparigrahamahāvrata.
. The observance of these five vows is capable of bringing about individual as well as social progress. Thus the Jaina faith and morals sum up the spiritual and moral living of the individual along with the social upliftment.
Jaina Mysticism and other essays