Jainism and Democracy

Author(s): Indra Chandra Shastri
Publisher: I A S S Jain Conference New Delhi

Page 84

THE WAY OF INNER DEVELOPMENT
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aspirant upto the fifth stage is a member of Society and carries his duties and obligations towards himself as well as the society. He enjoys the family life and external pleasures in a moderately controlled form, not forgetting the supreme object and other duties. His character is well balanced without resorting to either extreme of looseness or complete renunciation. In the sixth guņasthāna he leaves family life and joins the order of medicants. He devotes his entire life to the attainment of spiritual realization. He refrains from not only the gross sins but from the sins of minor nature also. He is not to kill any animal whether movable or immovable harmful or not harmful. Similarly, he is not to speak a lie in any way, not to take even a trivial thing without asking permission of the owner and hold any property. The vows of a monk are called Mahāvratas (complete vows) in contrast with Aņuvratas (partial vows) of a householder.
This stage is reached after subduing Pratyahyānāvaraņa i.e. the third degree of passions. A monk is expected to purify his heart every fortnight. He has to observe pratikramaņa (repentence for the sins committed knowingly or unknowingly) and other purifications daily.
This stage is known as Pramatta-sanyata, because, the aspirant, though observing complete restraint, is open to negligence or slips.
The seventh guṇasthāna is known as Apramattasamyata. It should be remembered here that the third degree of passions was subdued in the sixth stage. After that there remains the fourth degree of samywalana