Shravak Ke Dwadash Vrat

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Shravak ke Dwadash Vrat" by Chandraprabhsagar:

Introduction to Vows (Vrat)

The text begins by defining "vrat" (vow) as the abstention from immoral conduct. It cites the Tattvarthasutra which states that vows are abstentions from violence, falsehood, theft, impurity (lust), and excessive possession. Vows are described as religious acts or commitments that free individuals from negative karma and guide them towards good and purity.

The Twelve Vows of a Shravak (Householder)

Jain scriptures describe twelve vows for a Shravak (a lay follower). These are categorized into three groups:

1. Five Anuvratas (Minor Vows): These are the fundamental vows.
2. Three Gunavratas (Augmenting Vows): These enhance the practice of the Anuvratas.
3. Four Shikshavratas (Training Vows): These are practiced to gradually move towards monasticism.

Anuvratas are considered the primary vows for a Shravak, while Gunavratas and Shikshavratas (collectively called Sheelavratas) are seen as supportive of the Anuvratas. The Shravakadharma Prajnapti and Yogashastra confirm that the Shravak dharma comprises these twelve vows.

1. The Five Anuvratas (Minor Vows)

The text elaborates on each of the five Anuvratas, emphasizing their broader and less strict application for householders compared to monks:

• Ahimsa Anuvrata (Vow of Non-Violence):

  • Core Principle: Non-violence is the foundation of Jain ethics.
  • Householder's Application: A householder must abstain from gross violence. While complete non-violence is impossible in a worldly life, the vow involves carefulness and conscious effort to minimize harm.
  • Specific Guidelines: Avoid binding or beating animals/humans due to anger or other Kshayas, mutilating animals, overloading them, or withholding essential resources like food and water.
  • Overcoming Violence: The text quotes Acharya Hemachandra, who advises abandoning intentional violence against innocent creatures after observing the consequences of violence (like disability or disease). He stresses that even violence performed with good intentions or for upholding tradition can lead to negative outcomes. Neglecting non-violence renders other virtues like self-control, worship, charity, and austerity fruitless.

• Satya Anuvrata (Vow of Truthfulness):

  • Core Principle: Truth prevails, falsehood is defeated.
  • Householder's Application: This involves abstaining from gross falsehoods.
  • Specific Guidelines: Avoid giving false advice, making false accusations, creating forged documents, misappropriating trusts, and revealing secrets. This also includes abstaining from lying about women, cattle, or land, bearing false witness, and speaking rashly, harshly, or words that reignite conflict. Even truthful words that cause pain should be avoided.
  • Reasons for Falsehood: The text lists 14 reasons people resort to falsehood: anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment, aversion, laughter, fear, shame, play, joy, sorrow, partiality, and excessive talking.

• Asteya Anuvrata / Adattadan Viraman Vrata (Vow of Non-Stealing):

  • Core Principle: Taking what is given by the owner is proper; taking what is not given is stealing.
  • Householder's Application: Abstention from gross theft.
  • Consequences of Stealing: Stealing leads to societal condemnation, punishment, loss of wealth, peace, health, and wisdom. It causes distress day and night and results in suffering in this life and hellish punishments in the next.
  • Specific Guidelines: Avoid buying stolen goods, assisting thieves, cheating in weights and measures, adulterating goods, and engaging in illegal or forbidden marriages. Also, avoid excessive desire and indulgence.

• Brahmacharya Anuvrata (Vow of Chastity/Celibacy):

  • Householder's Application: This vow primarily involves contentment with one's own spouse. It is also known as the "Swadaari Santosh Vrata."
  • Scope: A householder should abstain from sexual relations with anyone other than their spouse. This includes renouncing relations with prostitutes, unmarried women, and those engaged in same-sex relations or bestiality.
  • Consequences of Impurity: The text highlights the downfall of Ravana due to his desire for other women, leading to his family's destruction and descent into hell. It also mentions that even men of great power and beauty should avoid extramarital relations, just as Sita renounced Ravana. The text further warns that attachment to sensual pleasures can lead to the arousal of anger and hatred, and even the minds of monks can be disturbed by such temptations.
  • Limitations: The desire for sensual pleasures is limitless and a root cause of worldly suffering.

• Aparigraha Anuvrata / Parigraha Pariman Anuvrata (Vow of Non-Possessiveness / Limited Possession):

  • Core Principle: To limit one's possessions and desires.
  • Purpose: More possessions lead to more desire. This vow aims to curb the endless growth of desires and cultivate contentment.
  • Consequences of Excessive Possession: Uncontrolled possessions are the root of violence, falsehood, theft, and sensual indulgence. The text illustrates this with examples of kings and wealthy individuals who remained unsatisfied despite immense wealth.
  • Contentment: Contentment is the true ornament, attracting prosperity, abundance, and divine favor.
  • Specific Guidelines: A Shravak should set limits on property, houses, gold, silver, grain, and stored goods. The text lists common possessions to be limited: land, houses, wealth, grains, clothes, utensils, slaves, animals, vehicles, beds, and seats.

2. The Three Gunavratas (Augmenting Vows)

These vows enhance the Anuvratas and restrict the scope of actions:

• Digvrata (Vow of Directional Limitation):

  • Purpose: To limit the area of travel and business, thereby curbing excessive greed.
  • Application: Setting boundaries for movement in the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, West), as well as upwards and downwards.
  • Benefit: This helps control greed and prevents transgression of one's limits.

• Deshavakashika Vrata (Vow of Temporal/Territorial Limitation):

  • Purpose: To further restrict movement and activities within the boundaries set by Digvrata, especially in places or times where vows might be violated.
  • Application: If travelling to a particular country or engaging in activities there is likely to break a vow, then one should avoid such travel or activities. This also involves reducing the scope of movement within the day and night.

• Anarthadanda Vrata (Vow of Abstaining from Useless/Harmful Activities):

  • Purpose: To abandon activities that are purposeless and lead to the accumulation of karma.
  • Core Principle: Actions performed with purpose generate less karma than purposeless actions.
  • Four Types of Anarthadanda:
    1. Apadyana: Evil intentions or wrong thoughts.
    2. Pramadcharya: Careless or negligent conduct.
    3. Hinsopakarana Adi Dena: Providing tools or means for violence.
    4. Papo Upadesha: Preaching or teaching sinful activities.
  • Specific Guidelines: Avoid vulgar or lustful speech, crude physical actions, idle chatter, the use of instruments for violence, and excessive hoarding of consumable goods.

3. The Four Shikshavratas (Training Vows)

These vows are practiced to train oneself for a more rigorous spiritual life, moving towards monasticism:

• Upabhoga Pariman Vrata (Vow of Limited Enjoyment of Consumables):

  • Purpose: To control the enjoyment and consumption of things. This is closely related to the Brahmacharya Anuvrata.
  • Types:
    • Consumption (Bhog): Things consumed once (e.g., food).
    • Re-enjoyment (Upabhog): Things used repeatedly (e.g., clothes).
  • Application: Limiting the consumption of certain items like root vegetables, certain fruits, honey, meat, intoxicating substances, and eating at night. Also includes limiting impure livelihoods.
  • Specific Prohibitions: Abstaining from alcohol, meat, butter, five udumbara fruits, vegetables with infinite life-force, unknown fruits, eating at night, dairy products mixed with other ingredients, day-old milk, curd and buttermilk, stale grains, and spoiled food.

• Samayika Vrata (Vow of Equanimity/Meditation):

  • Purpose: To detach from sinful activities and attain equanimity. It's considered the first step towards monastic life and a daily duty for householders.
  • Equanimity: Maintaining a balanced state of mind irrespective of praise or criticism, honor or dishonor, friends or foes.
  • Definition: True Samayika is practiced by those who are equal towards all beings, both mobile (trasas) and immobile (sthavaras). It also involves deep engagement in self-control, discipline, and austerity.
  • Significance: Even celestial beings aspire for a moment of Samayika. It can be practiced in various places and by different individuals. The duration of one Samayika is typically 48 minutes, and householders are encouraged to perform it at least once a day, preferably in the morning and evening. The practice requires a secluded, pure, and peaceful environment.

• Atithi Samvibhaga Vrata (Vow of Offering to the Deserving/Guests):

  • Purpose: To share food, water, and other necessities with deserving individuals (monks and ascetics) with reverence. This is considered a form of charity and service.
  • Application: Offering food, water, shelter, and clothing to those who are worthy, showing them reverence and devotion (Navadha Bhakti).
  • Purity: The offerings should be free from defects and prepared with appropriate knowledge of time and place.

• Paushadhopavasa Vrata (Vow of Fasting on Observance Days):

  • Purpose: To practice abstinence from worldly activities and desires, focusing on spiritual observance.
  • Meaning: "Poshdh" implies holding virtuous qualities. Fasting is abstaining from food with virtuous intent.
  • Application: Abstaining from food, bodily decoration, sexual indulgence, and worldly activities during specific auspicious days (like Ashtami and Chaturdashi). This can be partial (one meal) or complete fasting for the duration of the observance.
  • Benefits: Performing Paushadh with proper observance and a positive mindset destroys suffering and prevents rebirth in lower realms (hell and animal kingdoms), leading to a better destiny. During Paushadh, a householder's spiritual practice is akin to that of a monk.

Conclusion:

The text concludes by stating that the Shravak's practice of these twelve vows can lead them to higher heavenly realms and eventually to liberation. It emphasizes that a Shravak can choose to take all twelve vows or just a few, according to their capacity and strength. The practice of these vows is a path to spiritual progress and ultimately, the attainment of Moksha (liberation).