Page:A History of Indian Philosophy Vol 1.djvu/216

 200 The J aina Philosophy [CH. honest householder of the present day. Great stress is laid upon the virtues of ahirpsa, siinrta, asteya and brahmacaryya, but the root of all these is ahirpsa. The virtues of siinrta, asteya and brahmacaryya are made to follow directly as secondary corrol- laries of ahirpsa. Ahirpsa may thus be generalized as the funda- mental ethical virtue of J ainism; judgment on all actions may be passed in accordance with the standard of ahirrsa ; siinrta, asteya and brahmacaryya are regarded as virtues as their transgression leads to hirpsa (injury to beings). A milder form of the practice of these virtues is expected from ordinary householders and this is called anubrata (small vows). But those who are struggling for the attainment of emancipation must practise these virtues according to the highest and strictest standard, and this is called mahabrata (great vows). Thus for example brahmacaryya for a householder according to the anubrata standard would be mere cessation from adultery, whereas according to mahabrata it would be absolute abstention from sex-thoughts, sex-words and sex- acts. Ahirpsa according to a householder, according to anubrata, would require abstinence from killing any animals, but according to mahavrata it would entail all the rigour and carefulness to prevent oneself from being the cause of any kind of injury to any living being in any way. Many other minor duties are imposed upon householders, all of which are based upon the cardinal virtue of ahirpsa. These are ([) digvirati (to carry out activities within a restricted area and thereby desist from injuring living beings in different places), (2) bhogopabllOganuilla (to desist from drinking liquors, taking flesh, butter, honey, figs, certain other kinds of plants, fruits, and vegetables, to observe certain other kinds of restrictions regarding time and place of taking meals), (3) allartlladalf!a consisting of (a) apadhyii1Ul (cessation from inflicting any bodily injuries, killing of one's enemies, etc.), (b) PiiPopadda (desisting from advising people to take to agriculture which leads to the killing of so many insects), (c) hil!ISOpakaridiilla (desisting from giving implements of agriculture to people which will lead to the injury of insects), (d) prallliidiicara!ta (to desist from attending musical parties, theatres, or reading sex-literature,gambling,etc.), (4) Sikfii- padabrata consisting of (a) siimayikabrata (to try to treat all beings equally), (b) desiivakii.Sikabrata (gradually to practise the digviratibrata more and more extensively), (c) pOfadhabrata