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446
reasons for his choice. He listened to his parents objections and refuted them with a veritable apologia for vairagya.7
The Sthänānga-sūtra, which is addressed to the world at large, lists ten of the more normal, even prosaic, motives which may determine someone to embrace vairāgya: of his or her own choice, on an impulse of anger, on account of poor family circumstances, on the prompting of a dream, by reason of a promise recollected from a previous life (a recollection that may be provoked by one event or (another), on account of an illness, after receiving an insult, on Inspiration from the gods, out of affection for a son who is a muni8. Certain ones of these ten motives may, assuredly, give rise to renunciation or they may at least contribute towards an understanding of the futility of riches and of certain relationships, thus promoting an advance in the spiritual life.
The Unknown Pilgrims
In another passage, the same Sūtra gives four reasons for the adoption of this state: to have some security in life, to obtain heavenly pleasures, both these motives at once or for a disinterested motive only.
9
If we take into account family circumstances and the prevailing social conditions, we may say that for girls reared in the Jaina tradition there is no need to look for a secondary or accidental cause. Vairagya, which is basically inherent in this tradition, exerts its own imperious, absolute appeal. It is like a seed, we might say, implanted in every
7
6 Cf. US XIX, 9-23.
Ibid., 44-85.
8 dasavihā pavvajjā paņṇattā tam jahā-gāhā chamdā rosā parijuņņā suviņā paḍissuya ceva. sāriņiyā rogiņiyā, anāḍhiyā
devasanṇatti vocchāṇubaṁdhiyā. SthS 712a; cf. JSBSam III, pp. 251-252, where one example drawn form tradition is given of each case.
9
cauvvihä pavvajjā paņṇattā taṁ jaha-ihaloga-paḍibaddhā, paralogapaḍibaddha, duhaho logapaḍibaddha, apaḍibaddhā. SthS 355a; another motive might be the desire to be at the service of the guru; cf. SthS 157.
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