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Study of Jainism
get the object desired, it may create fear of the loss and a craving to hold on it. Possession and the craving for possession are the root causes of misery. The Buddha, while explaining the pratityasamutpada has stated that the craving for worldly things arises due to vedand and vedana is created due to the contact of the senses with the objects of the world. Craving gives rise to attachment and the consequent misery of birth and death. Mc-Dougall says that the propensity to acquire things and possess them is a powerful propensity as strong as the hunger and sex propensities. If we are to control ourselves we have either to supress them or to sublimate these natural inclinations. Supression is difficult and dangerous, as they might erupt any moment in greater force or disturb the equilibrium and the harmonious development of personality. Sublimation of the natural instincts would be a better way for the spiritualisation of human instincts. In the Kartikeyanupreksa it
een pointed out that the sex instinct cannot easily be conquered by men of lesser mettle. It destroys the human dignity and would make one a slave of passions,53 Therefore one who gives up the bahya and antara parigraha will subdue the passions and be calm.54
Parigsaha is infatuation. Infatuation (mūrocha) brings about craving for the objects. Craving produces attachment which in turn sets in motion the psychological process of identification. This is the psychological process of 'antaraparigruha' which leads us to the possession of objects (Bahya parigặaha). The Jaina Acaryas had the psychological sense to understand the limits of aparigsaha in the normal course of things. Therefore, they advocated the aņuyțata of parimita parigsaha to the citizens.
Parimita parig saha is limiting one's possessions. Parimita parigraha consists in restricting ones possessions in respect of wealth, grain and other forms of material possessions. It also consists in taking less responsibilities of administrative or academic type. While determining the limitation of possessions it would be necessary to keep in view the functional and social needs of an individual. There cannot be dead equality of men. “Democracy is not the standardising of every one so as to obliterate pecularity. We cannot put our souls in uniform - A just organisation of
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