Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 7

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 254

The Impact of Shramanism on Indian Social Life
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(2) Sammā samkappo (right aspiration), (3) Sammā vācā (right speech), (4) Sammā Kammanto (right action), (5) Svmma äjivo (right livelihord), (6) Sammā vāyāmo (right efforts), (7) Sammā sati (right mindfulness) and Sammā samādhi (right concentration).
In his first sermon delivered at Sarnath, the Buddha explained how the eight-fold path was relevant and conducive to good and desirable life. The right understanding is the understanding of things as they really are. It eliminates transcendental abstractions as alien to life. For a good life one's thought should be free from ill-will, lust and cruelty. This is what constituted right thought. The Buddha explained right speech as abstinence from lies and harsh words. From experience the Buddha knew that people told lies to serve their covetous and sinful design. They spoke ill of others to create dissension and rejoice. They also used harsh language to show of and assert their power. All these led to a bad life. In right speech all these have to be avoided. In this way the Buddha showed with illustrations how the eight-fold path was conducive to a good and noble life.
As such Buddha's teachings made a direct appeal to the masses who adopted them in their life. The inscriptions of emperor Ashoka evince that the teachings of the Buddha proved to be relevant not only socially but politically as well. The great emperor based his polity on the teachings of the lord and emerged as one of the great rulers and benefactors of mankind.
Like Buddhism, Jainism too has the ethical conduct of man as its foundation stone. In their views right conduct consists of the five vows namely: (1) Paņāivāya veramana (abstinence from inflicting injury to living
beings), (2) Musāvāya veramaņa (abstinence from speaking lie), (3) Adinnādāna veramana (abstinence from stealing), (4) Mehuna veramaņa (practising celebacy), and (5) Apariggaha (abandonment of all possessions).
All these vows are obviously conducive to a good and peaceful individual and social life. With a view to making religion practical and purposeful, the vows have been categorised as major (mahavrata) and minor (anuyrata). In their strict and stringent aspect, the vows are said to be major. In their mild and more practical form, they are said to be minor. In this form they are to be practised by the house-holders. For example,