Jaina Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Nyayavijay
Publisher: B L Institute of Indology

Page 83

Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
vayavya; the upward direction over one's head and the downward direction under one's feet. This is the vow to limit the distance in all the ten directions, up to which and not beyond which the vower will undertake unvirtuous activities. Thus, the purpose of the vow is to limit the area of different activities. The vower limits the area in which and not beyond. which he will move, conduct trade and business, give his daughter in marriage or accept in marriage someone's daughter for his son; again, he will use things produced in that much area only. To check the unimpeded spread of desire, to save oneself from the unvirtuous activities that are likely to spread beyond the limited area in the absence of the vow and to give one scope to perform one's duty towards one's neighbours are the objectives of the vow. If the vow is observed, much of the botheration and hubbub will be lessened, tranquillity and peace will be gained and there will be considerable increase in the scope for all-round selfdevelopment and spiritual welfare.
Vow of Limiting the Quantity of Things One Will Use (Bhogopabhogaparimāṇa)
55
There are two types of things, viz. bhoga and upabhoga. Bhoga things are those that can be used only once, viz. eatables, water, etc. Upabhoga things are those that can be used repeatedly, viz. clothes, etc. Thus, this vow means to limit their quantity, to refrain from keeping those things more in number than the necessarily required. So, it is a self-imposed restriction as to the number of things to be used. He who practises it knows how much restraint is put on the free play of desire by its observance. This vow covers the prohibition of forbidden food and drink, viz. meat, wine, etc. which are not necessary for living, but, on the contrary, harmful to life and degrading to soul. Similarly, it is also understood that the vower should abandon things of both the types, whose use possibly involves much violence and evil. A householder adopts such renunciation with a view to making progress on the path of peace. So, this vow requires him to abandon even such professions as involve much evil and cruelty to animals. A man who discriminates the good from the evil always chooses lesser evil when he is constrained to choose between two evils.
Man has no control over his desire. This is the reason why India is suffering from acute unemployment, terrible price-hike and unbearable troubles. While on the one side there are mountains of unnecessarily accumulated wealth and useless huge expenditures in the display of one's