Lord Mahavira

Author(s): Bool Chand
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society

Page 65

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his whole daily conduct. He must be careful as to the alms he receives that they can contain no living insects etc. (2) Asatya-tyaga, never to indulge in untruthfulness. The five bhāvanas, or strengthening clauses to this vow supply a remarkable psychological analysis of the causes which lead to untruthfulness. They condemn speech without deliberation, speech in anger, speech when moved by avarice, or by fear, and speech in fun. One should respect the vow of truthfulness by always avoiding jesting, greed, cowardice and anger and by thinking before speaking. (3) Asteya vrata, never to steal. A monk must ask permission of the owner before occupying any one's house; he must repeat such a request from time to time. A junior monk must always show to his guru whatever he has received in alms and then eat it after receiving his permission. (4) Brahmacharya vrata, to remain chaste always. A monk is enjoined not to talk about a woman, or look at the form of a woman, or live in the same building as a woman lives in. He must not recall to mind the former amusement and pleasure woman afforded him when he lived in the world; nor must he eat or drink to excess, or partake of too highly spiced dishes. (5) Aparigraha vrata, never to have attachment for anything or any person. "Renouncing liking for pleasant touch, taste, smell, form or word, and for all the objects of the five senses, renouncing hatred for unpleasant things, these are the ways to maintain the vow of Aprigraha."
Apart from the maintenance of these five great vows, the discipline of the ascetic's daily life is very rigid. Getting up at about four o'clock, before sunrise, he performs the daily fan which is a form o confession of the sins of the past night, then catries out fa a daily search for any insect life that may be sheltering in his clothing etc., and after that attends to the list of his morning duties, which include preaching, begging for alms, auricular confession to the Guru, study of the scriptures and meditation.