Page:The Heart of Jainism (IA heartofjainism00stevuoft).djvu/263

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THE JAINA ASCETIC
235

or Āyāṇabhaṇḍa nikhevaṇā), that it has no insect life on it. And at night, when putting away all that remains over from the food he has begged, he must deposit it and any other refuse so carefully, that no insect life is injured (Pratisthāpana samiti or Parithāpaṇikā samai).[1]

The following śloka sums up these five clauses:

'A man should respect the vow of Ahiṁsā by exercising self-control, examining things taken, always maintaining the Five Samiti, and by inspecting things before he eats or drinks, and before he receives them.'

ii. Asat-
ya tyāga.
The Jaina monk further takes a vow against untruthfulness (Asatya tyāga) which is defined in the following words:

'Undertaking to speak what is pleasant, wholesome and true is called the vow of truthfulness. Truth is untruth if it is not pleasant and wholesome.'

The five bhāvanā, or strengthening clauses, to this vow supply a remarkable psychological analysis of the causes which lead to untruthfulness. The first (Aṇubīmabhāsī) condemns speech without deliberation; then, as wrath often leads to falsehood, monks must never speak when angry (Kohaṁ parijāṇāi); nor for a similar reason when moved by avarice (Lohaṁ parijāṇāi); nor by fear (Bhayaṁ parijāṇāi); finally, they promise never to tell a falsehood for fun, or from the desire to return a smart repartee (Hāsaṁ parijāṇāi) .

A Sanskrit śloka which sums up these clauses may be translated as follows:

'One should respect the vow of truthfulness by always avoiding jesting, greed, cowardice and anger, and by thinking before speaking.'

iii. Asteya
vrata.
The third vow, that of non-stealing (Asteya vrata), is iii.Asteya defined as follows:

'The vow of non-stealing consists in not taking what is not given; wealth is the outward life of man, and if that is taken away the man is undone.'

  1. Some Jaina substitute for this the duty of searching mind, thought and intention (Manaparijāṇāi).