The Jain way of life prescribes thirty-five virtues for a marganusari - one who follows the path shown by Jinas. One is to cultivate these
virtues to develop the right attitude of living and not to stray from the
spiritual path. These virtues are listed as obligatory duties, derogations that
are to be discarded, virtues to be cultivated and endeavors to be carried out
with diligence.
The obligatory duties include a householder pursuing some
kind of business, trade or profession, not of an ignoble or degrading nature.
He is to act in a jest and honest way, and in proportion to his capital. If he
is to serve under another, he is to act in proportion to his strength. The
business he does shall not harm other men, animals, fish, birds or insects. The
business, therefore, excludes that of a butcher, brewer, wine merchant, arms
dealer or anything that involves destruction of life. When he earns money
honestly, he remains peaceful and can enjoy his wealth without any disturbance.
The layman is not to marry from his lineage. One is to
marry from a different gotra, but with similar character, taste,
culture, language, etc. This is to result in harmonious relationship without
any discord and misunderstanding. He is to respect parents and elders. He is to
serve the ascetics who come to him for bhiksha as well as guests with
due respect. He is to help the needy and destitute. He is to maintain his
dependents and make them work for the wellbeing of the whole family. He is to
live in a house not accessible to thieves, and cannot be entered by undesirable
people. He is to dress according to his means in a decent way. He is to incur
expenses in proportion to his income. He is to drink and eat at the proper time
suitable to his constitution. He is to eat food only at home and fast when he
suffers from indigestion.
The derogations include giving up calumny, betraying
trust, deceiving and cheating; giving up anger, pride, deceit, greed,
attachment and aversion; avoiding places of danger to life such as
battlefields, places of epidemics and famine; and giving up meat eating,
intoxicants and crimes that might lead to imprisonment. He is to perform his
household duties properly, and shall not neglect his religious duties.
The virtues to be cultivated include acquiring the habit
of discretion between the right and the wrong act, and to keep away from sinful
acts. He is to be farsighted and is to plan for the future needs of his family.
While taking up any responsibility, he is to consider his strengths and
weaknesses. He is always to keep his temperament, voice and appearance gentle
and serene.
The endeavors to be carried out include keeping the
company of noble people and admiring their virtues. One is to have
compassionate attitude towards all, and help everyone without selfishness.
One is to express gratitude to all who help one, and be
humble.
A layman should do svadhyaya, study of holy texts,
everyday. He is to listen to the discourses of monks. He is to try to
understand tattvas, essential truths, the meaning of dharmasastras,
etc to know the path of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.
The Jain way of life prescribes the above code of conduct
for its adherents so that they gain material prosperity while they advance
spiritually. This shows that the Jain Acharyas have given very
deep thought to practical day-to-day life of the laity. All these qualities
make a layman spiritually conscious, while making his life peaceful and
harmonious.
According to the Jain tradition, those who desire to rise
in spiritual line must follow five anuvratas (primary vows) prescribed
for a householder. They consist of observance of non-violence, truthfulness,
non-stealing, chastity and non-possession. A householder shall also practice dana (charity), sheela (virtuous conduct), tapas (austerity) and bhavana (pure thoughts).
Non-violence is the attitude of equality towards all
living creatures, leading to compassion and kindness to all living beings.
Non-violence in Jainism embraces not only human beings, but also animals,
birds, plants, creatures on earth, in air and in water, vegetables, etc. It is
the holy law of compassion extended to body, mind and word of a living being.
Lord Mahavira says, ‘All living beings desire to live. They detest sorrow and
death, and desire a long and happy life. Hence, one should not inflict pain on
any creature, nor have any feeling of antipathy or enmity. One should be
friendly towards all creatures.'
All the other vows of Jainism flow from the vow of
non-violence. Truthfulness is essential to keep order and harmony in society.
One is to practice it constantly and consistently to maintain integrity in the
society. One is to observe the vow of non-stealing to earn one's living by
honest means. One violates the vow of aparigraha by accepting and
holding what one does not need. One needs to practice the vow of chastity to
maintain social morality.
As for spiritual advancement, the Jain way of life
stresses on six essential practices. They are samayika, chaturvinshati
stava, vandana, pratikramana, kayotsarga and pratyakhyana.
Samaiyka means to be devoid of attachment and
aversion, to be indifferent to life or death, gain or loss, fortune or
misfortune, friend or foe, joy or sorrow, etc. It means samatva or
equanimity. The Jain way of life requires a householder to practice this
principle for at least 48 minutes everyday. It means that, during this spell,
he is to remain aloof from his domestic and business activity and spend it in
contemplation, meditation or spiritual study.
Chaturvinshati stava means worship of the
twenty-four Tirthankaras by reciting their stotras and bhajans.
Tirthankaras are beings free from attachment and aversion. By their
worship, people may cultivate virtues to some extent in their lives.
Vandana is to offer one's reverential salutations
to the sadhus (sages) and sadhvis (nuns). Association with such
holy people results in development of virtues.
Pratikramana is a process of contemplation and
introspection to be done in the morning and in the evening. A Jain is supposed
to introspect in the morning and in the evening whether he is developing good
qualities. If he has committed any mistake, he is to repent for it and ensure
its avoidance thereafter.
Kayotsarga means literally abandonment of body in
one steady posture. It is to be done in a posture suitable to the seeker,
sitting or standing, for meditation. This helps in keeping the mind under
control.
Pratyakhyana enjoins on a seeker to take vows
everyday to purify his life. He is ever to keep the distinction in view between
the body and the soul. As the body perishes, the soul has no death and lasts
forever. The seeker is ever to seek self-fulfillment and self-realization.
The Jain way of life focuses on a combination of right
faith, right knowledge and right conduct to tread the path of salvation. These
constitute the three jewels of Jainism. Lord Mahavira says. ‘By knowledge one
understands the nature of substances; by faith one believes in them; by conduct
one puts an end to the flow of karma; and by austerity one attains
purity.' The Jain way of life stresses on simplicity and nobility in human
conduct.
The principles of Jainism are universal in character and
applicable to all societies in all times.
K. R. Paramahamsa is an author of book Living in Spirit.
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