Studies in Jainism

Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta

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STUDIES IN JAINISM on the material plane, and because of that human life really becomes 'solitary, nasty, poor, brutish' and precarious. It is to be remembered in this connection that acquisitiveness includes the lust for power - the desire to dominate over others - politically, economically, socially and culturally.
Socially and culturally acquisitiveness has its direction to what Thorstein Bunde Veblen calls 'conspicuous consumption' as also 'pecuniary waste', which may be regarded as individual and social waste. The demonstration effect, in the words of a modern economist (Dussenbury), translates itself into base imitation, which results in the production of 'wrong commodities'. Social benefit naturally suffers. Aņuvrata therefore advises to moderate his acquisitiveness.
Moderation of acquisitiveness should be supplemented by limitation of consumption, injuncts Anuvrata. In other words, it cries a halt to pleasure and thus runs counter to unbridled hedonism but comes near to Vātsyāyana, whose philosophy of life also emphasizes moderation. From the broader standpoint it may be likened to the category of renunciation. "Renounce and enjoy". "Tena Taktvena Bhunjithā" directed the Upanishadic seers. The Aņuvrata's commandment meets it on the same plane.
While elaborating the principle of 'integrity in behaviour', an article of Anuvrata creed, recourse may be had to what has already been stated : in modern times social sciences are analyzed and elucidated having behaviourism as the central concept. As a social philosophy Aņuvrata does just the same. Furthermore, it demands idealisation of behaviour, and thus it tends to become both light-bearing and fruit bearing-normative and positive as well.
On any showing, integrity of behaviour means eschewing hypocrisy, which is a very common trait in the behaviour of politicians, traders, different professional and occupational groups. This clearly means divorce from life and truth with all its implications. Anuvrata seeks to reverse the process. It wants to ensure a truth-bound Journey for realising the divine potentiality that lies talent in human soul.