The Five Vows of Jainism
In the earliest Sanskrit, the term vrata meant not just a “temporary vow,” but more of a dedication of oneself on a permanent basis to a single purpose. The adoption of the five mahavratas, or Great Vows, was the defining set of characteristics of monks and nuns after their ascetic initiation. The vows were to govern their behavior and provide a structure for their spiritual guidance.
The Jain custom was for an ascetic at a ceremony of initiation to read out the scriptural story of Rohini, the girl who was distinguished from her unwise sisters because she planted and reaped the rewards of five rice grains given to her by her father. Her story was told to demonstrate how the five Great Vows could be put to good use.
The traditional description of the Great Vows can be found in the second book of the Acaranga or scriptures. Each of the five vows or renunciations is first stated, then followed by realizations describing the further implications of the vow, ensuring that the vow will be correctly executed.
The Vow of the Noninjury of Life (Ahimsa)
This is sometimes referred to as nonviolence, especially by Mohandas K. Gandhi, who in the twentieth century credited the Jains with his own practice of nonviolence. But this way of putting the matter is inaccurate. For the term nonviolence in ordinary usage involves only human beings. The Sanskrit term ahimsa appeared in the Upanishads in about 500
The “realizations” then describes ways in which the ascetic must take care. First, he must observe how and where he walks lest he injure life forms on the way. This is especially relevant during the four-month rain retreat, for it is during the monsoon season that there is a great burgeoning of plant and insect life that might otherwise be injured by wandering ascetics.
When it comes to nonviolence, the Jains taught the wrongness of killing of any life form and undertook this vow for the rest of their lives. Mahavira taught that it is “sinful” to act badly toward animals; a “wise man” should not act sinfully toward animals, nor even cause or allow others to do so.
The ascetic must also get hold of her own mind and speech, for these may be agents of violence. Further directions concern how an ascetic is to put down her alms bowl and how she must inspect all food and drink to ensure there are no life forms in it.
The noninjury of other life forms is perhaps best known among all Jain traits. Jains are vegetarians, and they will not own leather goods, since these require the killing of animals. They go to such extremes with vegetarianism that they will not even eat from pans in which meat has been cooked. They follow Mahavira's example of sweeping a path before them to avoid stepping on insects. Jains routinely shun occupations that might bring harm or death to another living thing. For this reason, they even avoid agricultural professions (not to mention livelihoods that involve hunting for or handling meat).
The nonviolence of Jains is so extreme that they practice it toward animals that are considered pests, even creatures such as rodents and rats. When a rat infestation occurred in Bombay, Jains captured them and provided hospices for them, feeding and caring for them until their natural deaths.
Further, some scholars have emphasized a Vedic belief in an “inverted” order in the world to come. In this new order, an individual would have to endure the very pain that she inflicted on other beings. If a person accepts the doctrine that Brahman is connected with atman, the metaphysical implication is clear: we have a fellowship with all living creatures.
Jains must show care toward living things even in the consumption of food, and the notion goes beyond simple vegetarianism; food is only acceptable if it does not cost a life. It is not just animal flesh, fish, and eggs that are prohibited, but also types of vegetables that were thought to contain life forms. Even though total consistency of diet is not to be expected, the Jains prohibit vegetables such as onions, garlic, potatoes, and fruits with large numbers of seeds in them. Most holy men and women survive on fruits that have fallen naturally from the trees.
The Jain principle of ahimsa, or noninjury of all living things, has been embraced by non-Jains, too. Ordinary citizens in and out of India have embraced the Jain principles of noninjury. Jain ideas have been especially attractive to Mohandas K. Gandhi and Albert Schweitzer.
A story illustrates the Jain respect for life. The story is from the Akaranga Sutra, I.1, which serves to illustrate the Jain respect for all life.
Earth is afflicted and wretched, it is hard to teach, it has no discrimination. Unenlightened men, who suffer from the effect of past deeds, cause great pain in a world full of pain already, for in Earth souls are individually embodied. If, thinking to gain praise, honor, or respect … or to achieve a good rebirth … or to win salvation, or to escape pain, a man sins against Earth or causes or permits others to do so, … he will not gain joy or wisdom … Injury to the Earth is like striking, cutting, maiming, or killing a blind man…. Knowing this, man should not sin against Earth or cause or permit others to do so. He who understands the nature of sin against Earth is called a true sage who understands karma.
And there are many souls embodied in water. Truly water … is alive. He who injures the lives in water does not understand the nature of sin or renounce it…. Knowing this, a man should not sin against water, or cause or permit others to do so. He who understands the nature of sin against water is called a true sage who understands karma.
And just as it is in the nature of a man to be born and grow old, so is it the nature of a plant to be born and grow old…. One is endowed with reason, and so is the other; one is sick, if injured, and so is the other; one grows larger, and so does the other; one changes with time, and so does the other…. He who understands the nature of sin against plants is called a true sage who understands karma.
All beings with two, three, four, or five senses, … in fact all creation, know individually pleasure and displeasure, pain, terror, and sorrow. All are full of fears which come from all directions. And yet there exist people who could cause greater pain to them … Some kill animals for sacrifice, some for their skin, flesh, blood, … feathers, teeth, or tusks; … some kill them intentionally and some unintentionally; some kill because they have been previously injured by them, … and some because they expect to be injured. He who harms animals has not understood or renounced deeds of sin … He who understands the nature of sin against animals is called a true sage who understands karma.
A man who is averse from harming even the wind knows the sorrow of all things living…. He who knows what is bad for himself knows what is bad for others, and he who knows what is bad for others knows what is bad for himself. This reciprocity should always be borne in mind. Those whose minds are at peace and who are free from passions do not desire to live (at the expense of others)…. He who understands the nature of sin against wind is called a true sage who understands karma.
In short, he who understands the nature of sin in respect to all six types of living beings is called a true sage who understands karma.
The Vow Not to Speak Untruth
Jains are widely respected for their truthfulness. The second Great Vow says an ascetic must abstain from lying. The realization here is that she must be deliberate in her speech and not given to anger, greed, fear, or mirth.
Philosophically, the Jains are relativists; they allow that there are truths in the doctrines of other philosophies. There is a well-known story of the blind men and the elephant that is told to illustrate this point. In this tale, several blind men are asked to describe an elephant. Each touches a different part of the elephant's body, and thus each describes it in a different way. To one man, the elephant is like a stone wall because he has touched the side. Another thinks the elephant is like a fan since he has touched its wide ear. Each man truthfully described the elephant, but since each had touched a different part, their descriptions varied. Truth here is relative to their perspectives and positions. Human knowledge, then, is likely to be misleading. Despite this position about the relativity of truth, it is speaking what you know to be false that breaks the vow of the Jains.
The Vow Not to Steal
The third of the great vows says that an ascetic should not take what has not been given. Jain monks are forbidden from taking anything that doesn't belong to them. Like their observance of the second vow, this one aids and abets their reputation for honesty.
The Vow to Renounce Sexual Pleasures
This Great Vow states that an ascetic must renounce all sexual activity. Since asceticism has always viewed the pleasures of the flesh as evil, and since sex is one of the greatest pleasures of the flesh, it must be forsaken.
The vow to renounce sexual pleasures denounced any contact, mental or physical, with women, or eating or drinking anything likely to stimulate the sexual drive. Mahavira did not only renounce sexual pleasures, he renounced women for good. His renunciation of all external pleasures and things was due to the admonition that, “Women are the greatest temptation in the world.”
The Vow to Renounce all Attachments
The fifth Great Vow counsels the renunciation of any attachment to objects of the senses. This refers to possessions in general. Of all the things that bind human beings to this life, the love for other persons and things is among the strongest bonds. Thus, Mahavira left behind his family and possessions and didn't remain in one place for more than a day, lest he form attachments to people and things. At the age of thirty-two, he became a wandering monk, at which point the sky glowed like a lake covered in lotus flowers. A sixth vow was later added to the list of five.
No Eating after Dark
The first appearance of this vow describes it as a supplement to the Great Vows. In reality, it is but a subdivision of the first Great Vow of nonviolence. The apparent reason for prohibiting eating at night is that ascetics cannot go out and seek alms at night, since this activity would involve trampling upon small life forms. In addition, cooking of food by the laity would attract insects, which would be drawn into the flames. According to popular belief, the proper digestion of food can only take place in sunlight.
Do all Jains practice all five vows?
Here is where the matter becomes philosophically interesting. If an individual becomes a monk, he holds to all five. On the other hand, a Jain layperson integrates this philosophy with marriage, family, and the material well-being that accompanies such a life. But this sort of life will not lead to spiritual release.
The purpose of the Great Vows, and indeed of the other ancillary vows that a Jain ascetic undertakes, is to bring about a state of internal purification. The first of the five — the renunciation of violence — is fundamental according to the Jains. For instance, not speaking falsely (the second vow) is important because of the connection between truth and violence. While lying should be avoided, truths which harm others should not be spoken. Also, the third Great Vow of not taking what has not been given concerns the ascetic's honesty in dealing with all people, but also includes not taking the lives of other beings. Likewise, the attachment to possessions and sense objects, which is rejected by the fourth Great Vow, stirs the passions in people, one of the primary causes of violence. In addition, sexual activity is prohibited not only because of the distraction and passion it causes, but because innumerable life forms are destroyed in each ejaculation of semen.
