YJA Convention 1996 07 San Francisco CA Second

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

Page 39

Brahmacharya (Celibacy)
Mahatma Gandhi tried very hard to practice this principle in his later life but found it very difficult. One day, he decided to take a vow of celibacy and thereafter, his commitment to his vows helped him to practice this principle flawlessly. To the western world, this would seem like an extreme and even weird principle since it is common to have an enjoyable sex life and even more than one partner! For many, it is a goal in life!
Jainism believes very strongly that man's passions are the root cause of unhappiness. Indulgence in passions makes one excited and hence prone to equally higher levels of dissatisfaction. Life becomes turbulent. Pleasure and pain are two sides of the same coin: the happier we become through our desires, the more likely wed are to experience pain. And man's strongest passion is sex: hence the principle of brahmacharya and is only compulsory for monks although lay followers should have only one partner (through marriage) and exercise some control in their indulgences. In the modern world, we can say that this principle's richness and validity has been proved beyond doubt!
Tapas (penance)
In modern society freedom is the buzzword. Young people value it very highly and want more and more of it. Do they ever stop to question where this freedom is leading them? To greater happiness? or to a turbulent lifestyle where one week they are very happy and the next, very sad? If so, why? They clearly have all freedom they want? What is the real cause of these ups and downs?
Tapas argues that there is only one freedom which is 'real'. All else is false and destined to unhappiness and spiritual downfall. And that freedom is self-realization: purifying the soul and taking it from the human level to a divine level. And the path toward selfrealization comes from self-control and penance and having faith in Jainism.
Food is another of man's passions. Of all living beings, it is man who lives to eat rather than eats to live. Jains should exercise control over what they eat, how often they eat, and not become attached to the food. They should practice some form of fasting.
Appendix B
Other Experiments on Jainism
1. Experiment on Aparigraha
The more and more we acquire, chances are that we will get more and more attached to our possessions. As a simple example, if someone damages our clothes or car, we would get very annoyed about it. Jainism argues that this attachment to our material acquisitions is a major cause of unhappiness. For example, if we were not attached to our clothes, we would not feel proud is people complemented them nor would we get annoyed if they were damaged. Furthermore, if we limited our acquisitions to necessities, we would have much less to look after or worry about! But then, I hear you
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