Pristine Jainism

Author(s): S M Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 85

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Pristine Jainism
eat food and take water and even medicines to maintain the body in good health. It is only with gradual practice that the impact of surging sex harmons can be controlled. Undue suppression of legitimate sex results in several mental diseases. Jainism preaches equanimity and not hatred for anything lest for one's body which is medium of all religious activity till salvation. Body care is a must. It should not be despised as preached in some texts. The idols of our Tīrthankaras manifest good healthy bodies and not emaciated.
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If people adopt this vow of celibacy even with lesser rigour (Aṇuvrata) as prescribed for the householders, sexual violence, diseases and conflicts will not be there. The effort is voluntary and of one's own express will without coercion, force or enticement. It will be an effective instrument to control, limit and reduce to sustainable levels the unbridled population explosion, which is a major cause for most of the social and environmental problems. There are twin main causes of conflicts, tensions, violence, pollution and environmental degradation, one is reckless consumerism discussed earlier and the other is the alarming rate of population growth. By adherence to two vows of Aparigraha (nonpossessiveness) and Brahmacarya (Celibacy) most of the problems will be solved. It must be remembered that in Jainism the observance of vows is nine fold i.e. in thoughts, words and actions and whether done by self, got done by others and even if acquiesced. The rules for observance of vows are so comprehensive and elaborate that there are no lacunae or pretexts to circumvent the objectives and fundamental principles.
Thus rationality (Samyaktva), control of emotions and observance of five vows constitute the main steel frame in the code of conduct prescribed in Jainism. There are elaborate treatises by different scholarly saints with different synonyms, classifications, sub-classifications, rules and sub rules, all centring around rationality, emotional control and adherence to five vows. Jainism is being perceived more and more as