S.M. Jain
For saints who observe it as Mahavrat it is complete abstinence, abjuration from sexual desires and activity. Householders observe it as Anuvrat and therefore do not abstain totally but are ordained to curb sexual desires and activity as much as possible, restricting to minimum for the purpose of limited procreation. The various concomitants of sexual desire viz. wine, meat, gambling, titillating songs, dance, persuasive body decoration, libertines, aimless wanderings, unnatural sex, promiscuity, etc. are transgressions of the vow and are not permitted. Sexual indulgence, licentious immoral conduct are causes of many conflicts and violence and since recently of a new incurable deadly disease AIDS. However, severe admonitions and injunctions advising hatred even for normal, scientific and safe sex with one's own spouse as contained in some religious texts is against the very definition of Anuvratas. A householder can move up the ladder of spiritual advancement. Till salvation is attained, association with body and requirements are unavoidable. Even saints do eat food and take water and even medicines to maintain the body in good health. It is only with gradual practice that the impact of surging sex hormones can be controlled. Undue suppression of legitimate sex results in several mental diseases. Jainism preaches equanimity and not hatred for anything lest for one's body which is medium of all religious activity till salvation. Body care is a must. It should not be despised as preached in some texts. The idols of our Tirthankaras manifest good healthy bodies and not emaciated.
If people adopt this vow of celibacy even with lesser rigour (Anuvrat) as prescribed for the householders, sexual violence, diseases and conflicts will not be there. The effort is voluntary and of one's own express will without coercion, force or enticement. It will be an effective instrument to control, limit and reduce to sustainable levels the unbridled population explosion, which is a major cause for most of the social and environmental problems. There are twin main causes of conflicts, tensions, violence, pollution and environmental degradation, one is reckless consumerism discussed earlier and the other is the alarming rate of population growth. By adherence to two vows of Aparigrah and Celibacy most of the problem will be solved. It must be remembered that in Jainism the observance of vows is nine fold i.e. in thoughts, words and actions and whether done by self, got done by others and even if acquiesced. The rules for observance of vows are so comprehensive and elaborate that there are no lacunae or pretexts to circumvent the objectives and fundamental principles.
Thus rationality (Samyaktva), control of emotions and observance of five vows constitute the main steel frame in the code of conduct prescribed in Jainism. There are elaborate treatises by different scholarly saints with different synonyms, classifications, sub classifications, rules and sub rules, all centring around rationality, emotional control and adherence to five vows. Jainism is being perceived more and more as difficult, arduous and intricate religion. But it is not so as it is simple, straight forward, striking at the very root, causative factors and effects, assuring peace and happiness for one and all by extricating all life forms from agonies, miseries, conflicts and violence and therefore should be taken as easier because conflicts, tensions and violence are more difficult and harsher to tolerate than rigours of practising rationality, emotional control and observing five vows.
The house holders and even saints are not compelled to follow the code of conduct in its rigorous form right from the start. There are various stages to gradually go up the ladder from milder to more and more rigorous practice. There are eleven stages (Pratimas) for house holders:
- Darshan Pratima: It is the first step and rationality (Samyaktva) is prerequisite. One who takes it practises five Anuvratas (Vows) though with transgression and also abjures consumption of meat, wine and honey.
- Vrat Pratima: Vows (Anuvratas) are observed without transgressions.
- Samayik Pratima: In addition to preceding practices meditates at least thrice a day to strengthen his resolve.
- Proshadh Pratima: In addition to above does fasting at least for four days a month to practice tolerance of hunger and utilises more time in religious activity.
- Sachitt-tyag Pratima: The person in this stage abstains from taking unripe fruits, roots, flowers because it is violence against plants. Drinking water is also first heated.
- Ratribhuktityag Pratima: Enjoins abstinence from intake of any kind of food and drinks (Milk etc.) even water during night. Sexual activity during day is also prohibited.
- Brahmacharya Pratima: In this the person abstains from sexual activity completely. He also keeps away from enticements like titillating songs, reading pornographic literature, seeing provoking photographs naked or revealing of the opposite sex, and seeing gleefully the naked or otherwise persons of the opposite sex.
- Arambhtyag Pratima: A householder has to carry out various activities such as service, agriculture, business, preparing meals etc. On reaching and willingly embracing this stage, the person abandons all worldly activities and lives almost as a recluse.
- Parigrahtyag Pratima: In this stage the person practices detachment, infatuation from worldly possessions viz., clothes, houses, servants, money etc. and reduces such possession to a bare minimum.
- Anumatityag Pratima: The person adopting it not only abstains himself but also does not even consent the activities mentioned under eighth stage.
- Uddishttyag Pratima: The person in this stage lives in the company of saints, and takes meals from other house holders. His clothing is also minimum either a loin cloth only or one more to cover upper body.
Likewise there are following stages and categories of saints:
The saints as soon as they are initiated practice twenty-eight essential activities prescribed. As mentioned these centre around rationality, emotional control and five vows. However, the capabilities of newly initiated saints differ, some adopt with prescribed rigour immediately and others progress gradually by practice and are classified under following categories:
- Pulak: They follow the main rules but are lax in sub rules.
- Vakush:
They follow the main as wells as sub rules properly but have some attachment (Parigrah) for their body and bare possessions of broom (Pichchi), water pot (Kamandal). - Pratisevna Kushil:
They are sometimes lax in following sub rules. - Kasheya Kushil:
They are sometimes lax in their emotional control (Kashayas). - Nirgranth:
They follow all rules and sub-rules perfectly without any flaw. - Snatak:
It is the highest enlightened stage and is described as 'Arhat' stage. They are free from all attachments (Rag) or aversion. They are kevali or omniscient. Their knowledge is perfect without any bias, most rational, scientific and complete.
These stages are gradual advances in the path of the ultimate objective. Some rise faster and some slowly according to capabilities. Slow or fast the objective is the same. The general impression that the code of conduct in Jainism is difficult is erroneous. For example any person who wants to compete in a marathon race for the first time will not immediately be able to run the distance but if he practices daily his speed and stamina will gradually improve. Another example is about fasting, which is difficult for the first time, but by practice desirous persons improve the capabilities and can fast several days with pleasure and without any inconvenience. The entire system is so elaborately built up that there will be no problem for any one and the only necessity is the will of the person. The system is so perfect that it starts disciplining the mind, speech and body gradually more and more to ultimate complete control. One commits right or wrong starting from thoughts, speech and body activity. The experience of pain or pleasure is through five sensory organs. By sense of touch (sparshan indriya) pleasure or pain are felt in soft and hard, hot and cold, sexual activity etc. Various tastes of eatables, drinks, good or bad are felt through sense of taste (rasna indriya). Sense of smell (ghran indriya) is responsible for sensuous feelings of good or bad smells e.g. of good smell from aromatic oils, essences, flowers etc and similarly of foul, repulsive smell from filth, squalor, excreta, dead bodies etc. The fourth is sense of hearing (karna indriya) through which a person is enticed to hear sweet, melodious songs and is distracted from harsh, bad sounds. Lastly through the sense of sight one feels pleasure or pain in good or bad sights e.g. indulgence in watching dances is for sensuous pleasure and repulsion from bad scenes. Most wrongs are committed because of indulgence in various sensuous pleasures. For example indulgence in excessive, unsafe sex under temptation of Sparshan Indriya is the cause of several troubles and diseases. Intake of sumptuous harmful food under impulse of Rasna Indriya is the cause of digestive diseases. A dear is enticed by melodious songs and is caught and killed. There are numerous examples of trouble and pain because of temptations of the above sensory organs. The various practices and vows enable the person to gradually overcome sensuous indulgence to rational use of these five sense organs (Indriyas).
Daslakshan Dharma (Ten facets of Religion):" आचारः प्रथमो धर्मः " i.e.practising or adopting good conduct is the foremost religious activity. A religious person manifests following ten attributes or facets:
" उत्तम क्षमा मार्दव आर्जव शैच सत्य संयम तपस्त्यागकिञ्चन्य ब्रह्मचर्याणि धर्म॥6॥ “
[Tattvartha Sutra Chapter IX]
- Kshma (Forgiveness): The more the person is capable of forgiving wrongs of others, the more is his control over emotions of anger (Krodh Kashaya)
- Mardav (Without Pride):
It indicates control on emotions of pride (Man Kashaya). - Ardav (Without Hypocrisy):
The more a person manifests 'Ardav' attribute the more is his control on emotion of hypocrisy (Maya Kashaya). - Shauch (Without Greed):
It is an index of control over emotions of greed (Lobh Kashaya). - Satya (Truth fulness):
It indicates the commitment to the vow of truth (Satya Vrat) - Samyam (Sensuous Control):
It is an attribute indicating austerity and control over indulgence of five sense organs) - Tap (Tolerence of Hardships):
It is indicative of the degree of hardships a person can undergo and tolerate by adopting hard, painful postures and forsaking of bodily comforts, observing fasts and other practices and vows with more and more rigour. - Tyag (Detachment):
This attribute is judged by the extent a person is able to give up his worldly possessions for others as alms or help for the needy. There are four types of alms: (a) Food (Ahar), (b) Medicine (Aushadh), (c) Knowledge (Gyan) by giving good literature preaching, education. scholarships (d) Shelter (Abhaya) by protecting the victims of violence or injustice and giving them shelter. It is a serious transgression of this attribute if one hides, refuses his capabilities to help others. There are examples of fabulously rich persons, refusing alms, food and capable persons refusing shelter and even scholars not taking interest in educating the ignorant which is their duty. - Akinchan (Without ego):
It indicates the degree of simplicity and forsaken ego. - Brahmacharya (Celibacy):
It is indicative of total abjurement of sexual pleasures and degree of spiritual uplift.
The enlightened ones Arhats, Tirthankaras, were great doctors who practised and prescribed such a meticulous code of conduct which is a wonder medicine (panacea) for all ills, ailments of mind and body of an individual and all human being and life-forms. The person or society will be immune from problems, tensions, conflicts, miseries and diseases of all kinds to the extent the prescribed code of conduct is followed. Where most psychiatrists will fail, the prescription of conduct rules will cure most mental ailments. Rational prescribed conduct for food intake will keep persons from all ailments due to excess feeding, malnutrition or harmful food items. Celibacy will solve the problem of population explosion and keep away the sexual diseases including fatal AIDS. Practice of reducing wants and possessions will mitigate ills of consumerism. Prescription of nonviolence, truth and anekant will solve most of the problems with which the individual, society and the world is ridden with.
