Paryavaran Chetna Acharanga Sutra

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Paryavaran Chetna Acharanga Sutra":

This text, "Paryavaran Chetna Acharanga Sutra" by Surendra Bothra, argues that Jainism, particularly through its foundational scripture, the Acharanga Sutra, inherently embodies environmental consciousness and advocates for its protection. The author posits that the core principle of ahimsa (non-violence) is intrinsically linked to environmental preservation.

The book begins by defining "environment" as the intricate web of physical objects and circumstances that encompass and define a life form or ecosystem. It asserts that awareness of not harming this environment is embedded within an ahimsak (non-violent) lifestyle. The ahimsak code of conduct not only prohibits harming the natural environment but also proposes restoring ecological balance through a spirit of equality and friendship.

The text highlights that religions and lifestyles that give prominence to ahimsa are closer to environmental conservation. It identifies Jainism and Buddhism as the two philosophies most deeply rooted in ahimsa, with Jainism credited for developing and establishing a comprehensive and reasoned ahimsak lifestyle.

The author then delves into the Acharanga Sutra, considering it Mahavira's primary and foundational teaching. The text argues that the Acharanga Sutra, even without explicitly using the term "environment," demonstrates environmental awareness and protection principles, thus clarifying the close relationship between ahimsa and the environment.

The Acharanga Sutra begins with an awareness of the direction of life's motion. While this is often linked to rebirth, the text interprets it in a practical, physical sense, emphasizing that the direction of movement of any substance or life is crucial for environmental protection or destruction. The environment exists in a delicate and living balance of countless beings, substances, and energies. A deviation in the natural direction of even one component can disrupt this entire balance. Humans, with their ability to translate thoughts into action, can cause harm to themselves and nature if they are unaware of the natural direction of their actions and those of their surroundings.

Following the discussion on motion and direction, the Acharanga Sutra addresses actions that should not be performed. These are deemed hinsa (violence) because their consequences are suffering, pain, distress, and harm. The scripture states that all beings, past, present, and sentient, find restlessness, fear, and suffering to be their aversion. By understanding the equality of all souls, one should abstain from harming the entire world of living beings. This violence affects the entire cosmos, which in Jainism is understood to be vast and encompassing. Ahimsa is based on the restraint, to the best of one's ability, towards any aspect, gross or subtle, of this vast living world.

Mahavira, the text explains, was the first to systematically present the concept of subtle life beyond the visible world. This principle of shad-jeev nikaya (six categories of life) is found in the first study of the Acharanga Sutra. Mahavira vividly described the consciousness and suffering of subtle beings residing in earth, water, air, and fire elements, using analogies with human experience. He illustrates how harming earth-bodied beings causes them pain akin to that experienced by a congenitally disabled human. The text argues that by describing violence against earth-bodied beings first, the Acharanga Sutra encompasses all components of the environment within the scope of hinsa. It then discusses violence against water-bodied, air-bodied, and fire-bodied beings. The interactions within this subtle world affect us and are affected by us. Therefore, any action that harms this subtle world is hinsa and should be renounced.

After discussing the protection of earth, air, water, and fire, the text mentions vegetation. The human body is compared to vegetation to foster awareness and sensitivity towards forest conservation, highlighting their shared characteristics of birth, growth, consciousness, wilting when cut, nourishment, impermanence, and transformation. Following this, the protection of all mobile beings in the visible world, referred to as trasakaya in the Acharanga Sutra, is discussed.

The concept of hinsa in the Acharanga Sutra is significantly broader and more extensive than traditional definitions. It states that seeing and knowing that all creatures desire happiness, one should abstain from violence. This ahimsa-dharma is pure, eternal, and everlasting, as expounded by self-realized Arhats.

The idea of considering all elements essential for life as living beings underscores humanity's profound responsibility towards nature. Hinsa is not just the destruction of visible life but also the destruction of the potential for visible life to evolve in the distant future. The Acharanga Sutra extensively discusses both the theoretical and practical aspects of environmental protection.

The text identifies weapons as a means of hinsa, and harming through weapons constitutes violence. Weapons are categorized as dravya-shastra (material weapons) and bhava-shastra (mental weapons), with the latter being uncontrolled conduct. Material weapons include self-body weapons (e.g., for black or yellow soil), other-body weapons (e.g., for fire), and both. Essentially, anything that opposes the natural state of another object and is therefore destructive is a weapon. Introducing unnatural and opposing substances into earth, water, air, and fire is considered violence.

The text then addresses the causes of engaging in hinsa: the desire for praise, honor, and worship in the present life; the need to perform rites related to birth, death, and liberation; and the desire to retaliate against one's own suffering.

Following this, a detailed discussion begins on living a restrained life to overcome such violent or environmentally destructive actions. This lifestyle is entirely connected to the environment and is characterized by a path of physical and spiritual development that maintains ecological balance.

The foundation of an ahimsak lifestyle lies in the five vows: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (celibacy), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). While ahimsa encompasses the other vows, specific vows directly related to environmental protection are highlighted. Adattadan (non-stealing), the prohibition of taking anything that is not rightfully yours, addresses problems arising from the uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources. Aparigraha (non-possessiveness), the renunciation of attachment and accumulation of possessions, is crucial. This attachment leads to violence when acquiring or protecting possessions, and also drives uncontrolled consumption, directly impacting the environment.

The text explains that consumption is fundamentally linked to survival. Beyond that, convenience and ambition become drivers. While acquiring resources for temporary needs is natural, hoarding for the future driven by self-preservation is also normal. However, hoarding based on imaginary and irrational needs is greed, not necessity. Increasing needs and consumption based on ambition is parigraha.

The primary cause of modern environmental pollution is identified as consumerism. Consumerism depletes natural resources through planned exploitation and pollutes the environment through the uncontrolled disposal of waste generated by unnecessary consumption. It also fosters dissatisfaction, poverty, and social inequality, ultimately leading to ideological pollution and violence. The vow of aparigraha is presented as a significant solution to the problem of consumerism.

The text also mentions seven auxiliary vows (sheel-vrat) that support the main vows, three of which are directly related to the environment as they involve voluntarily limiting needs and desires: Dig-vrat (restricting direction of travel), Deshavakashik vrat (restricting the area of activities), and Upbhog-paribhoga pariman vrat (limiting consumption and use). These vows support aparigraha. The concept and principle of conservation are greatly enhanced by aparigraha. When an individual limits consumption, this mindset spreads through society, and small acts of limitation accumulate to make a significant contribution to environmental protection, as limiting self-imposed consumption naturally limits the exploitation of natural resources.

To ensure the proper observance of these vows, other rules are defined, such as samitis (careful conduct), guptis (control), and atichar-nishedh (prohibition of lapses). The text elaborates on seemingly minor but important aspects, such as the five samitis for practicing ahimsa, including the careful disposal of leftover food and caution regarding its location. This is presented as crucial from an environmental pollution perspective, as careless disposal of waste is a major cause of pollution today.

In conclusion, the text strongly asserts that environmental protection is inseparably linked to an ahimsak lifestyle. The three key pillars supporting this connection are samata (equality/balance), ahimsa (restrained transgression), and aparigraha (balanced and restrained consumption). The reader is directed to the Acharanga Sutra for further understanding.