An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide: We Need To Embrace The Five Anuvratas And Not The Five Mahavratas

Unfortunately we mostly hear, read, and talk about the lives of sadhus but there is very little talk about the lives of shravaks and shravikas. There is too little talk about Shravak-aachaar (the conduct of a householder) and discussion of some householders who can serve as role models. Yes, the life of a sadhu is the highest living model for us, to which we must aspire when we become renunciates, but first we must concentrate on becoming good shravaks. The five Mahavratas are for sadhus and not for householders. Unfortunately, we talk about Mahavratas, but our daily way of life is not even close to the standard set by any anuvratas (minor vows).

This reminds me of an incident. A few years ago, as part of an interfaith movement, a group of some fifty non-Indian Jains (all Westerners) were coming to visit a Jain temple in the US. Several prominent members of the Jain community were busy in making proper preparations to welcome the guests and also to show and share about our Jain tradition, philosophy, and history.

I asked one active Jain volunteer what he would talk about Jainism when it was his turn to share. He replied, “Uncle, I will talk about the five mahavratas.” I laughed and said to him, “Why not talk about the five anuvratas? The guests will know and realize that Jains are one of the most affluent and prigrahi people on earth, are not celibate, and have no monopoly on truth and other virtues.” He understood my point.

The time has come that we should embrace the five anuvratas not as a slogan but in real practice. Acharya Tulsi-ji tried his very best sixty plus years ago to emphasize the five anuvratas, but after a few years, it just became a mere slogan.