Non Violence A Way Of Life

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Jaibhikkhu Sahitya Trust

Page 24

Thus Bhagwan Mahavir tried to quench the fire of disputes. For this he gave an illustration how the seven blind men look at the elephant. This anekantavada will make man think from the other man's viewpoint and consequently half of the miseries of the world will disappear. Anekantavada leads us to the path of co-ordination and of annihilation of opposition.
The third great vow is the vow of non-stealing. Man should abandon all kinds of stealing. We should not take anything that is not freely given to us. Nor should we make anyone take what is not given to him. Nor should we help anyone take what is not given to him. He said that not even the teeth-scraping straw should be taken by a monk without its owner's permission. Nor does he make someone take it, nor give his consert to it, let alone taking big things. A monk should take care to see that he takes only innocent things acceptable to him. This means that he should be aware of the acceptability or nonacceptibility of a thing before taking it.
The fourth great vow is that of celibacy. Bhagwan Mahavir added this fifth great vow to the four great vows of Parshvanath and established its distinct importance. He said that all the physical and mental miseries of the world are caused by thirst for sensual pleasures, for all sensual pleasures are ultimately
painful. A river may be flowing but it is always contained betweens its two banks. Similarly, the stream of life needs restraint. If this restraint is accepted willingly, the monk will remain happy and joyful. So, Bhagwan Mahavir said, "You should control yourself. You should restrain your soul. He who lives in lust, greed and sensual pleasures ultimately suffers miseries for a long time. Not even the enemy that cuts your throat does that much harm to you as your soul engaged in evil conduct does to you. So, natural restraint gladly accepted, is the source of happiness, peace and transquillity."
The fifth great vow is of possessionlessness. Possession is the source of evil. Possession is not only the acquisition or accumulation of things but also the temptation and the attachment to things. This possession is the source of all the five evils viz. himsa, untruthfulness, stealing, sensual pleasure and attachment. Today we see that the chief cause of the boundless miseries of the present world in man's uncontrolled tendency to possess. Man believes that possession brings happiness. But in fact possession is the cause of the miseries and bondage. Possession makes a man a slave of external things. As the bee sucks honey from the flower without destroying it, so the welfareseeking man does the last possible harm to another in his worldly life. Thus expounding the
di Novels