Mahavira His Life and Teachings

Author(s): Bimla Charn Law
Publisher: Luzac and Co UK

Page 21

14 MAHĀVĪRA · HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS and desire ; (2) that he should keep himself aloof from all kinds of traffic, (3) that he should get rid of all parigrahas ideas of possession), and (4) that he should remain absorbed in knowledge and meditation of self 1
A correct representation of the 'fourfold selfrestraint, even in the sense in which the followers of Pārśva understood it, is not wanting in Buddhist literature. Just a fifth point, chastity, has to be added to the 'fourfold self-restraint' to complete the list of five great vows (pañca mahāvratas) promulgated by Mahāvīra The definite path prescribed by Mahāvīra for the realization of the world of absolute happiness consisted in the abstinence from the idea of killing, the idea of theft, the idea of unchastity, the idea of lying, and some such tapoguna or virtue of an ascetic 2 It is very interesting indeed to note that even some of the Jaina phrases are reproduced in the Buddhist text 3
The Anguttara-Nikāya speaks of the Nigranthas as a distinct Order of recluses who on the sabbath exhorted their lay disciples thus ‘Lay aside the
TIHQ, Vol II, p 705 ? Majjhima, II, pp 35-36
3 Ibid, II, p. 36, sake ācanyake samanuyuñzıyamānā samanuggāhıyamānā samanubhāsiyamānā