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THE PRACTICAL DHARMA*
the layman should cheerfully place greater and greater restrictions on his senses, remembering always that the aim of life is the attainment of mokşa, but not the pursuit
of sensual pleasure or lust. (viii) The eighth vow is designed to guard against unnecessary evil
befalling others, through one's carelessness. One should not wish evil to another, nor think evil of any one. One should take care not to let oil, milk and other liquid substances lying about uncovered, for flies and other kinds of small insects get killed thereby. One should keep as. few weapons as possible. The encouraging of another in evil deeds is also prohibited. We should not also fear the loss of any of the good things we have-wealth, friends, health, etc., etc.. nor imagine that conditions of poverty. disease, ill-luck, and the like are in store for us. Even undue anxiety to get rid of disease, poverty, and other undesirable conditions is to be avoided. The vow also condemns such deeds as rejoicing at the death of another, approving of another's crime, speaking ill of one's enemies, misrepresenting, desiring the death of another to come into his property, or for one's own safety; giving gratuitous advice, lending dangerous weapons, such as guns, fishing tackle and the like; sheer carelessness of thought, word and action ; drinking, meaningless chitchat, excessive sleep, talking about things which do not concern one, writing immoral books, selling evil medicines and poisons, buffoo
nery, abuse and all other like forms of thought and deed. (ix) The sāmāyika vow. It consists in spending a certain amount
of time at least once every day in a particular place, praising the Teacher, recounting the merits of the Liberated Souls, repenting of evil deeds, and, in a general way,
cultivating dispassion and the spirit of equanimity. (x) The tenth vow is a severer form of the sixth, and consists
in limiting one's movements, at least once a year or so, to one room or, at the most, to one's house. This is
