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Vol. XVII, No.4
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Besides it, there are many minor rules in connection with eating. One can take vow to observe the fortnightly fast (poşadhopavāsa) or refrain from eating fresh vegetables, because they are in form of life. He should not eat at night (Rātribhukta tyāga), because after sunset there are numerous insects, which may drop in the food.? The Jaina monk (and nun) should keep cloth before his mouth so that his breath may not kill small germs living in che air. The careful behaviour of a monk towards tiny living creatures is well described in the "Uttarādhyayana sūtra" in the following verses :
“He should not build a house, nor cause others to erect one, for many living creatures, both mobile and immobile, both subtle and gross, may be killed, when a house is being built;......there is nothing so dangerous as fire, for it spreads in all directions and is liable to destroy many creatures; one should therefore not light a fire.'8
These quotations show the peculiar character of Jaina ahiṁsā. Dasgupta says that it means "not taking any life even by mistake or unmindfulness. Now we have to emphasize the word "any life" because the Jainas have made an effort to extend ahiṁsā equally to all living creatures. The life of the animal with five senses is scarcely less important than that of man. The ideal seems to be to extend ahiṁsā equally to all living creatures. It seems to be to count every organic life unit as one, and none as more than one. Another point to be noted is that killing even by mistake or carelessness is a crime according to Jaina ethics.
The ethical discipline in Jainism consists of two vows (vrata) - Anuyrata (partial vow), and Mahāvrata (full vow.)19 Anuvrata means limited abstention from five great sins : himsā or injury, anrta or falsehood, steya or theft, abrahma or unchastity, and parigraha or worldly attachment. Laymen can take this limited vow and practise these virtues only in the restricted way so that their occupation does not suffer, while ascetics are requested to make a full vow and totally abstain from injuring the life of living beings.11 This great vow is described in the "Ācāränga sūtra".
“I renounce all killing of living beings, whether subtle or gross, whether mobile or immobile. Nor shall I myself kill living beings (nor cause others to do it, nor consent to it). As long as I live, I confess and blame, repent and exempt myself of these
sins, in the thrice, three-fold way, in mind, speech and body."99 . Another vow, brahmacarya (sex restraint) is considered by the Jainas to be of vital importance for the application of ahiṁsā.13
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