Book Title: Jaina Philosophy and Religion
Author(s): Nyayavijay
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology

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Page 81
________________ Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation) all sexual contacts with all men except her husband. Vow of Limiting One's Possessions (Parigrahaparimāņa) Desire has no end. It is limitless. In this vow there is an attempt to control it, to limit it. Possession of land, houses, silver, gold, diverse commodities, grains, livestock and furniture is called external possession. The attachment to and delusion of these things is internal possession. To weaken this internal possession which is of the nature of defilement and defect, it is necessary to limit properly the external possession. Of the things owned by him, if a man keeps some for the use and enjoyment of his own self, his family members and his dependents, he is regarded as having internal possession to the extent and limit of those things alone. But if all other things possessed by him are kept free for the use of others and given to them when they are needed by them, then with regard to these things he is not regarded as having internal possession; on the contrary, he is looked upon as their trustee. It is so because, he has no attachment or delusion for them and keeps them with him simply for the benefit of others; he is like an honest keeper or care-taker. If a man has a burning desire to amass much wealth so that he can indulge in the enjoyment of worldly pleasures, he has great possession (internal), even though he is penniless. It is to be remembered that if there is in anyone's mind even a trace of attachment for worldly things or even the slightest desire to possess them, then he has internal possession, even though he may live in a forest, naked and destitute of all gross things. Excessive accumulation of riches is a sin and to have such a desire is a sin of equal measure. The attachment or desire for the gross things that answer the ordinary necessities and comforts of life is no doubt internal possession. But as this internal possession is invariably and inevitably associated with the state of a householder and as it involves no unnecessary harm to others, it is not regarded as a vice. Ordinary necessities and ordinary comforts of life mean those necessities and comforts which a man who is neither too rich nor too poor can peacefully use and enjoy. It is generally observed that it is this middle state where contentment and peace find scope and place, and again it is this middle state which is conducive to self-development and spiritual welfare. If such a contented gentleman happens to earn much wealth as a result of his past wholesome and good acts, he will surely not add it to his Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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