Outlines of Jainism

Author(s): S Gopalan
Publisher: Wiley Eastern Private Limited New Delhi

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JAINISM
non-possession to its absurd extreme. Since Mahāvīra is depicted as expressing great concern for the deterioration of morals in his own days we may conclude that the fifth vow added by him was in regard to brahmacarya and not in regard to aparigraha.
While concluding we may note down another important point of agreement between the two Tīrthankaras, that on the constitution of the Saṁgha. They both agreed that monks and nuns as well as lay men and lay women could constitute the Saṁgha. But Mahävīra distinguished between the ordinary lay man and the lay man who took to twelve vows. The two classes of lay men were respectively referred to as the śrāvakas and the śramaṇopāsakas. The śrāvaka had to merely express his faith in the principles of Jainism whereas the śrāmaṇopāsaka had to take five ‘lesser vows' (aņuvratas) and seven reinforcing vows (śīlavratas) which involved as self-imposition of 'boundaries' both in regard to the area of his wanderings and in regard to entertaining certain desires. Five 'great vows' (mahāvratas) were prescribed for the ascetics.
With all the differences referred to between the two philosophers we find the similarity between their ethical teachings shining forth and confirming the view that Mahāvīra was not a founder of a new sect but only continued with sincerity and devotion the tradition he inherited through a succession of Tīrthankaras.