Spiritual Code and Restraints

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 44

possessions. In order to keep possessiveness under control, they should lay voluntary limitations on their possessions. Such limitations would of course vary from person to person. For instance, Anand Shrävak had decided to adopt this restraint after listening to the sermon of Lord Mahavir. The ceiling limitations that he laid were as high as 120 million gold coins, 4 herds of cows, 500 plows, 500 carts, 100 fields, 4 navigable ships etc. And he was not the exception. Kamdev and other Shravaks also had laid the limitations at fairly high levels. Thus limitations are not necessarily to be laid at low levels. Every one has to find a reasonable level appropriate to his life style.
Once a ceiling limitation is decided upon, holding or possessing anything over and above that level amounts to transgression of the restraint. 2500 years before when this restraint was laid down, gold, silver and other metals, clothes and other articles of domestic use, land and other real estates, animals, monetary wealth and grains were the major articles of possessions. The transgressions of this restraint were therefore laid in respect of such articles. In order to specify only five categories of transgressions, as in other restraints, such articles were classified in following five categories. 1) Monetary wealth and grains, 2) Land and other real estates, 3) Gold and silver, 4) Other metals and articles of daily use 5) Bipeds and quadrupeds. Laymen were therefore asked to avoid transgressing limitations laid in respect of those five categories.
Since we happen to possess many more articles, we need to lay limitations on each of them. For this purpose it is not necessary to reframe the categories of possessions. The fourth category is broad enough to cover everything that is not specifically mentioned in other categories. By laying limitations, a person decides to stay contented at certain reasonable level. He would not hanker for gaining anything and everything. He would feel happy with what he normally gets. It is also possible that he may reach the targeted limitations and as such can stay totally contented. And contentment leads to happiness.
Chapter 12
DIGPARIMAN VRAT The Restraint of Geographical Limitations
Uddhamahe Tiriyam Pi Ya Disäsu Parimänakaranam Padhamam Bhaniyam Gunavvayam Khalu Sävagadhammammi Viren
Samansuttam Laying limitations upwards as well as downwards and in all directions has been called by Lord Mahävir as the first auxiliary restraint for laymen.
By now we have discussed five major restraints that are to be observed to the fullest extent by the monastic cadre. They are called Mahävrats or the major restraints. The same as observed by laymen in modified form are called Anuvrats or minor restraints. It would be of interest to note that up to the time of Lord Pärshvanath, there were only four principal restraints known as Chäturyäm. That consisted of nonviolence, truth, nonstealing and non-possession. Celibacy was either not considered very necessary or was