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Author - Dr. L. M. Singhvi |
1. The five vratas (vows)
The five vratas (vows)
in the Jain code of conduct are:
Non‑violence in thought,
word and deed,
To seek and speak the
truth,
To behave honestly and
never to take anything by force or theft,
To practise restraint
and chastity in thought, word and deed,
To practice
non‑acquisitiveness.
The vow of ahimsa is the
first and pivotal vow. The other vows may be viewed as aspects of ahimsa
which together form an integrated code of conduct in the individual�s
quest for equanimity and the three jewels (ratna‑traya) of right faith,
right knowledge and right conduct.
The vows are undertaken
at an austere and exacting level by the monks and nuns and are then called
maha‑vratas (great vows). They are undertaken at a more moderate and
flexible level by householders and called the anu‑vratas (`atomic� or
basic vows).
Underlying the Jain code
of conduct is the emphatic assertion of individual responsibility towards
one and all. Indeed, the entire universe is the forum of one�s own
conscience. The code is profoundly ecological in its secular thrust and
its practical consequences.
2. Kindness to animals
The transgressions
against the vow of non‑violence include all forms of cruelty to animals
and human beings. Many centuries ago, Jains condemned as evil the common
practice of animal sacrifice to the gods. It is generally forbidden to
keep animals in captivity, to whip, mutilate or overload them or to
deprive them of adequate food and drink. The injunction is modified in
respect of domestic animals to the extent that they may be roped or even
whipped occasionally but always mercifully with due consideration and
without anger.
3. Vegetarianism
Except for allowing
themselves a judicious use of one‑sensed
life in the form of
vegetables, Jains would not consciously take
any life for food or
sport. As a community they are strict
vegetarians, consuming
neither meat, fish nor eggs. They
confine themselves to
vegetable and milk products
4. Self‑restraint and the avoidance of waste
By taking the basic
vows, the Jain laity endeavor to live a life of moderation and restraint
and to practice a measure of abstinence and austerity. They must not
procreate indiscriminately lest they overburden the universe and its
resources. Regular periods of fasting for self‑purification are
encouraged.
In their use of the
earth�s resources Jains take their cue from �the bee [that] sucks honey in
the blossoms of a tree without hurting the blossom and strengthens
itself�. Wants should be reduced, desires curbed and consumption levels
kept within reasonable limits. Using any resource beyond one�s needs and
misuse of any part of nature is considered a form of theft. Indeed, the
Jain faith goes one radical step further and declares unequivocally that
waste and creating pollution are acts of violence.
5. Charity
Accumulation of
possessions and enjoyment for personal ends should be minimized. Giving
charitable donations and one�s time for community projects generously is a
part of a Jain householder�s obligations. That explains why the Jain
temples and pilgrimage centers are well‑endowed and well‑managed. It is
this sense of social obligation born out of religious teachings that has
led the Jains to found and maintain innumerable schools, colleges,
hospitals, clinics, lodging houses, hostels, orphanages, relief and
rehabilitation camps for the handicapped, old, sick and disadvantaged as
well as hospitals for ailing birds and animals. Wealthy individuals are
advised to recognize that beyond a certain point their wealth is
superfluous to their needs and that they should manage the surplus as
trustees for social benefit.
The five fundamental
teachings of Jainism and the five‑fold Jain code of conduct outlined in
this Declaration are deeply rooted in its living ethos in unbroken
continuity across the centuries. They offer the world today a time‑tested
anchor of moral imperatives and a viable route plan for humanity�s common
pilgrimage for holistic environmental protection, peace and harmony in the
universe.
