Book Title: Religion and Philosophy of the Jainas
Author(s): Virchand R Gandhi
Publisher: Jain International Ahmedabad

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Page 240
________________ STAGES OF SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT 207 Old method of classifying property into things : 1. Which can be sold by number, such as apples, melons. 2. Which can be sold by weight, such as suger, drugs. 3. Which can be sold by measure, such as oil, milk. 4. Which can be sold by testing, such as gold, silver. 5. Different kinds of grades of property, such as land, buildings, metals, animals. Partial Transgressions The aticāras of this vow are all based upon the above classification. You limit the quantity you will possess, as your own, and if you keep more than the specified quantity you break the vow; and subterfuges, etc., would be considered as partial transgressions. For instance, when you come to possess grain beyond the limit fixed by you, if you keep the excess part somewhere else, with somebody else, for a time, that is subterfuge. Or making a gold ring into a tie pin because your number of gold rings is reached, that is subterfuge. These first five vratas are the minor vratas, previously mentioned. They are so in comparison with the more strict vows of the monk. The next three are the guņa vratas, they help and support the first five. THREE GUNA VRATAS SIXTH VOW (Digparimāņa-Vrata) Meaning Dig-parimāņa vrata. Dig means direction. The vow means the choosing to determine the distance up to which and not beyond which you will go or send your men. The limitation is of the area in which you will live, including all directions or motion, up, down, etc. In all activities of a layman there is destruction of life and therefore when he fixes his area he proclaims to all beings beyond Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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