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206 RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE JAINAS a person who tries all sorts of medicines to make him strong if his sex passion is feeble.
FIFTH VOW
(Sthūla-Parigraha-Parimāņa-Vrata) Meaning
Sthūla means gross, parigraha means acquiring as one's own, that is, possession. Parimāņa means limitation. Therefore the vow means a choice to put a limit to the things you possess or will possess and in an ordinary way.
It is the limitation of the desire of possessing, and hence of actual possessing. A person may possess without desiring to possess.
To limit the desire is to partially control the desire. If the desire is uncontrolled, it is limitless. To satisfy this desire for possession you have to be engaged in some kind of activity, and this activity is such that karmas are generated. Desire for things which are not yourself is here meant. A desire for knowledge is not meant. The real self is different from things, and is different from the body, and when this is realised it will be seen that the desire to possess, which is the false indentification of the real self with material things, must be removed; and if this realisation is very strong, the person will adopt full control; but if he cannot do the full control, he can limit his desires. Avirati (non-control) is the same thing as limitless desire. It means lack of control, and the desire is called icchă. Fruits
The result of limiting the desire is contentment; discontent and happiness cannot go together. Non-limitation of desire is the same thing as unsteadiness; it is like the butterfly life. So long as there are these desires, you have to wander from incarnation to incarnation. A desire for right knowledge is a desire for getting away from material things (from the possession of them). Knowledge is yourself, is the very nature of the soul.
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