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Aparigraha in Jainism
Prof. Sagarmal Jain
Our age is the age of science and technology. violated because at the root of violence and theft there Science and technology have done a great service to is lust for power and possession. the mankind by providing amenities of pleasant living.
According to Uttaradhyayana Sutra the root of all Scientific discoveries have enabled man to master
physical and mental sufferings is the desire for worldly nature. But, now, man is in form of monster showing
enjoyment, therefore only detachment from the the defects of slave turned master'. The scientific
worldly enjoyment can put an end to suffering. While achievements and mastery over the nature have
materialism seeks to eliminate suffering by fulfillment turned man into a selfish being to temptation.
of human desire it cannot eradicate the primal cause Selfishness and temptation have eroded our spiritual
from which the stream of suffering swells up. and moral values of self sacrifice and service to the
Materialism does not have an effective means to needy. In their place the mad scramble for power and
quench the thirst for possession of worldly objects. It wealth, a mad race that have endangered our social
only attempts at temporary appeasement of a institutions. These values can survive only if we check
yearning, and this has the opposite effect of causing our selfish and greedy attitudes. Lord Mahavira in
the desire to flare up like fire fed by an ablative of Uttaradhyana Sutra has rightly observed 'where there
butter. Uttaradhyayana states : Even if an infinite is inner desire for material gain and possession of
number of mountains of Gold and Silvers, each as large worldly objects of enjoyments, there is greed. The
as the Kailasa are conjured up, they would not be able limitless desire for power and wealth has caused man
to satisfy the human desire for possessions because to lose his sense of respect for others. This attitude, in
the desire is as infinite as the sky. turn, has created a gulf between have and have nots, which has resulted in the loss of mutual faith and sense The concept of aparigraha does not forbid an of fraternity brotherhood. The desire for power and individual to fulfill his basic needs such as hunger, possession has also given birth to the race for atomic thirst, etc. The fundamental message of this principle weapons. This desire to accumulate more power and is to eradicate the desire for power and possessions wealth is called 'Parigraha'. And not to accumulate and lust for sensuous enjoyments. This principle also power and possession beyond minimum requirement, makes us aware of every living being's right to nature's constitutes the principle of aparigraha, a constituent bounty. It questions the very concept of possession, of pancayama of Lord Mahavira's philosophy. Though for possession implies denying and depriving the others Mahavira has laid stress on the principle of non- of thier right to that which is possessed. This truth is violence (Ahimsa) yet, he also observed that in the stated in Mahabharata too : so far as fulfillment of root of all violence and war there is the lust for power one's organic need is concerned everyone has the right and possession. Therefore, in order to restore peace to use the gifts of nature but one who tries to take and brotherhood and to uproot violence we will have possession of them and deprives others from them, is to develop mutual faith and sense of security. Everyone a thief. has right to use the gift of the nature, but has no right to deprive others of using these gifts.
Jainism is not alone in its belief that the root cause
of suffering is attachment towards wordly objects and In Jainism and Patanjali-yoga system, the principle lust for their enjoyment. All spiritual traditions are of non-possession (aparigraha) is accepted as fifth vow, agreed on this. In Dasavaikalika, aparigraha is defined but if viewed seriously it is the first basic principle. as amurcha i.e. the detachment. Tattvarthsutra of Jaina thinkers are of the view that if this very principle Umasvati also supports this view. Amrtacandra also is violated all other vows automatically become points out that he who is unable to root out the lust
( ડિસેમ્બર - ૨૦૧૭
YGG
