Discipline for Spiritual Welfare
The Jain community is known as the ‘Catūrvidha Saṅgha’, i.e. the fourfold community. But this ‘community’ denotes a unique concept. It is neither merely a social group nor association, nor is it a multitude of sages. In the Jaina context, community or samgha consists of monks, nuns, and laymale and female followers.
Categorically, the followers are divided into two, viz. the ascetics and the householders, and these two groups in turn are divided into two, viz. male and female. This twofold classification into the ascetics and householder is detrimental in deciding the ethical standards, code of conduct, and religious-spiritual authority of the followers. Whereas the monks and nuns are supposed to practice all the rules of conduct in absolute discipline without any single concession, the householder males and females can practice these rules with same ‘concession’. It is, therefore, necessary to discuss the discipline in Jainism in two different, though related contexts, viz. spiritual and mundane.
Being the ascetic tradition, Monks and Nuns do possess central position in the Jaina community. Absolute renunciation is as regarded as the only ideal path of life to achieve the goal of liberation, and the one who follow this path, are technically termed as Śramana’.The Sanskrit word Śramana turns as ‘Samana’ in Prākrit. Samana is the one who has feeling of equanimity towards all living beings, regards himself responsible for his/her self-emancipation and is successful in extinguishing all emotions, passions etc. The only goal of the life of a ‘Śramana’ is the ‘spiritual liberation, i. e. the total annihilation of all activities. In order to achieve this goal, the Jaina religious tradition has prescribed a set of rules which is known as ‘Vinaya’, i. e. ‘the code of conduct for Ascetics’.
This set of rules includes:
1. Five Great Vows
Mahāvratas
2.
Three Controls
Gūptis
3.
Five kinds of Carefulness
Samitis
The systematization of this code of conduct occurs in Tattvārtha Sutra of Vācaka Umāsvāti in various chapters. However, in Agama Literature, especially in Uttaradhyayana Sutra, the discipline for the Homeless Monks is documented in very elaborate, though unclassified manner. The first chapter of Uttarādhyayana Sutra is devoted to ‘Vinaya’ i. e. the discipline for the monks and contains ______ the verses. (The verses that are relevant for present discussion are attached as Appendix 1).
The verses speak about the rigorous rules of discipline expected off the ascetics. Even though the classification of these rules into Mahāvratas, Gūptis and Samitis is not offered, the emphasis of those rules on the practice of non-violence, truth celibacy, carefulness about talking and eating, and on self-control and penance is quite obvious. In Tattvartha Sutra, the description of these rules is presented in more organized form.
1] Five Mahāvratas:Discipline for Social and Family Welfare:2] GuptisTattvārtha Sutra defines Mahāvrata as total renunciation or major-scale vow (VII. 2). Refraining one-self from all forms of defilements like violence, untruth etc. through mind, speech and body, is to follow the major-scale vow. Jainism holds that there are five major defilements, viz. violence, false-speech, stealing other’s possessions, sexual passion and acquisitiveness.
Accordingly, there are five major vows as follows:
a)
Non-violence
Refraining from the destruction of life due to an act involving negligence.
b)
Truth
Refraining from speaking false or improper.
c)
Non-stealing
Refraining fro m taking anything what is not been given.
d)
Incontinence / Celibacy
Refraining from the act of copulation impelled by sexual passion.
e)
Non-possessiveness
Refraining from getting entangled with and losing all sense of discrimination out of a pinning for any object.
It is emphatically stated that a mere formal acceptance of the vows does not qualify one as a true votary. In order to become a true votary, one has to observe some conditions, viz. renunciation of a thorn. These thorns are three in number:
- False pretension, deception or a tendency to cheat.
- Greed for worldly enjoyment.
- Not to have any faith in what is true or to insist on what is false
The auspicious restriction related to the activity of body and mind is called ‘Gupti’. An auspicious restriction means a restriction that has been accepted after proper comprehension and in right faith, i. e. impelled by right understanding and right faith to keep the body, speech and mind on the right path. In accordance with the three kinds of activities the Auspicious Restrictions are of three kinds:3] Samiti:
a) Restriction pertaining to body
Restricting bodily operations so as to discriminate between what is to be done and what is not to be done.
b)
Restriction pertaining to body
Restricting speech activity so as to keep silence altogether and speak only if and when necessary.
c)
Restriction pertaining to mind
Restricting mental activity so as to give up evil volitions and cultivate good volitions.
Samiti is a form of an activity inspired by a sense of discrimination, and it acts as a means for the stoppage of the inflow of karma. Samitis are five in number:
a) Iryā Samiti:
To move cautiously so as not to cause trouble to any living beings.
b) Bhāsā Samiti:
To speak what is true, beneficial, measured and free from doubt.
c) Esanā Samiti:
To act cautiously while seeking to procure the means necessary for living.
d) Ādānaniksepa Samiti:
To receive and place anything after a proper inspection and a proper cleaning of dust.
e) Utsarga Samiti:
To dispose of things that are of no use at a place free from living bodies and after proper inspection.
The difference between Gupti and Samiti is that in Gupti, the aspect of refraining from what is wrong is dominant, while in Samiti, the aspect of understanding what is right is dominant. Thus, the three wings of spiritual discipline aim at keeping the person on the path of virtues and leading him to the goal of Spiritual liberation.
AppendixThe householder males and females constitute the other kind of the followers of Jainism. The code of conduct prescribed for these people gives the guidelines for the social and family welfare. Being the ascetic Religion, the scriptures of Jainism are silent about the householders’ code of conduct. The earliest documentation is available in the text ‘Ratnakarandaka Śrāvakācāra’ by Samantabhadra (3-4th century A. D.)The main categories of this code of conduct are as follows:
1. Anuvratas, i. e. small vows:
These are the five vows as mentioned in the Great vows of the ascetic, but the difference is that the householders are supposed to follow these vows, not in exclusive manner, but in accordance with the limitations and requirements of their family life and social status.
2. Gunavratas / Multiplicative Vows:
These are three in numbers:
3. Śiksāvratas / Disciplinary Vows:
These are four in numbers:
Making a mental fixation of time to refrain from all un-virtuous act whatsoever and to remain engaged in a virtuous such as meditation, contemplation etc.
To keep fast on 8th, 14th or full-moon date of the lunar month, to refrain from bodily decoration and to keep awake during night time engaged in virtuous acts.
Limiting the enjoyment of one’s daily consumable or non-consumable things.
To donate with a feeling of pure devotion to a worthy recipient things of daily need like food and drink, such as have been earned legitimately, and are in a usable condition, a donation so made as to prove advantageous to both the parties concerned.From these rules of conduct for both spiritual and social welfare, it becomes clear that emphasis of Jainism is on controlled life and not on any sort of enjoyment. Any person, belonging to any group whatsoever, is expected to live a life with minimum passions as appropriate for his/her category, when monks and nuns are supposed to live a life of strict discipline and exclusive control of passions, householders are expected to pay due attention to the requirements of social, cultural and political requirements. Thus, social concern is relevant in the context of householders, not that of the ascetics. The religion which is well aware of this distinction and itself has set the rules for them has shown the depth of thought in matters of socio-spiritual welfare of the whole society as such.
Discipline for the homeless monks (The relevant verses from Uttaradhyayana Sutra chap.1)
- A monk, who on receiving an order from his superior, walks up to him, watching his nods and motions, is called well- behaved.(2)
- One should always be meek and not be talkative in the presence of the wise, one should acquire valuable knowledge and avoid what is worthless.(8)
- When reprimanded a wise man should not be angry, but he should be of a forbearing mood, he should not associate laugh and play with mean men.(9)
- He should do nothing mean, nor talk much, but after having learned his lesson, he should meditate by himself.(10)
- If he by chance does anything mean, he should never deny it.(11)
- He should not speak unasked and asked he should not tell a lie; he should not give way to his anger and bear with indifference pleasant and unpleasant occurrences.(14)
- Subdue yourself, for the self is difficult to subdue. If your self is subdued, you will be happy in this world and in the next.(15)
- (He) should subdue the self by self-control and penance…. (16)
- He should never do anything disagreeable to the wise, neither in words, neither openly, nor secretly.(17)
- A monk should avoid untruth, nor should he speak positively (about future things, his plans etc), he should avoid sinful speech and always keep free from deceit.(24)
- He should not tell anything meaningless or hurtful, neither for his own sake, nor for anybody else’s, nor without such a motive.(25)
- …… a single monk should not stand with a single woman, nor should he converse with her.(26)
- A monk should not approach dining people sitting in a row, but should collect alms that are freely given; having begged according to the sanctioned rules, he should eat a moderate portion at the proper time.(32)
- …..a monk should accept permitted food that was prepared for somebody else(34)