Understanding and Applying Aparigraha Principle/Vow in our Daily Life

Q27. It appears that, we have missed the mark on understanding and applying the Aparigraha principle in our life choices. Aparigraha is one of the main principles of Jainism and Parigraha Parimana (or Limiting Parigrah) is the vow for laypeople and yet most of us wallow in many forms of material possessions. And to make it worse, more material possessions are equated to the results of good karmas. Why and how can we address it?

This is a deep and insightful question. It is very observant of our youth to notice disparity when it comes to applying the principle of Aparigraha and question it. To a certain extent, the disparity comes from the mental conditioning in our current society such as, the bigger the better, the more you have - the worthier you are. Our modern society easily allures us into the mindset of accumulation and consumption.

And this situation existed during Mahavir time.  Anand Shravak was the first Jain Shravak (under the 4-fold Jain Sangh established by Mahavir) to take Twelve Vow of Laypeople from Mahavir Swami and he was the richest person of the time.  After becoming first Jain Shravak, he limited his possessions and did not expand his business.  Ref- Ang Agam 7 – Upashak Dashang Agam.

Aparigraha is one of the most misunderstood or misinterpreted principles. Our intent of addressing this question is to help deepen the understanding of this principle so that we can use it in our daily lives with proper clarity, wisdom, and confidence.

Now, at the most fundamental level, Aparigraha, teaches us to not consume or accumulate more than what we need to lead a simple and peaceful life. When we accumulate more than our needs then it means that others won’t get it and Jainism considers that as a form of stealing.

Origin of the term

In addition to spiritual aspects, Aparigraha is an ancient Indian economic theory. It has been discussed in both Vedic tradition as well as Sramana tradition.

In Jainism it is one of the five great vows - Non-Violence (Ahimsa), Truth (Satya), Non-Stealing (Asteya), Celibacy (Brahmacharya) and Non-possession  (Aparigraha). These five vows are co-existent and inter-dependent. Theoretically all 5 have equal values. But in practice non-violence is well-known. The slogan - "Ahimsa Parmo Dharma" has been coming from ancient times. It has occupied an important place in Indian thinking. However, Ahimsa cannot be maintained without Aparigraha. Before we talk about Aparigraha, it would be helpful to understand Parigraha and its nuances or implication.

Wait, Know about me first – “Parigraha”

Today, science and technology have done a great service to the mankind by providing amenities of pleasant living. Scientific discoveries have enabled human master the nature. This scientific achievements and mastery over the nature have turned humans into a selfish being open to temptations. Selfishness and temptations have eroded our spiritual, moral and services values.

The limitless desire for power and wealth have caused us to lose the sense of respect for others. This attitude, in turn has created a gulf between haves and have nots, and this has resulted in the loss of mutual faith and sense of brotherhood. This desire to accumulate more power and wealth is called “unlimited or limitless Parigraha”. 

Lord Mahavira regards parigraha as the cause of our bondage to the world.

All desire pollutes our souls; and compelled by our desires, we indulge in several activities which results in kashayas and suffering for us. The desire to acquire and possess several worldly things like land, houses, gold, silver, and cash is natural to all humans. However, this desire should not become insensible.

This truth is stated in Mahabharata too: so far as fulfilment of one’s organic need is concerned everyone has the right to use the gifts of nature; but one who tries to take possession of them and deprives others from them, is a thief.

Jainism is not alone in its belief that the root cause of suffering is attachment towards worldly objects and lust for their enjoyment. All spiritual traditions are agreed on this.

Parigraha is also an obsessive mental attachment to possession.

When attachment to objects of possession becomes uncontrollable or unreasonable, the mind becomes affected by passions of greed and delusion. Such minds then become ignorant to Right faith, Right knowledge, and Right conduct. Obsession or attachment of any kind becomes a source of unhappiness and evil.

Parigraha or attachment to a possession of any object is either external or internal (source). Possession of external things is not possible without internal attachment. Hence, both the internal attachment and the possession of external objects come within the fold of Parigraha.

External Parigraha 

·       External Parigraha further is of two kinds: Living and non-living. Such as Land, house, gold, silver, wealth, grains, servants and maids, domestic animals and vehicles, clothes, and furniture.

·       They are relevant in emphasizing how the purity of the soul becomes affected in various ways in acquisition, possession, enjoyment, and protection of property consisting of both living and non-living objects. 

·       Attachment, which is the source of Parigraha, is of various kinds and intensity.

Internal Parigraha 

·       Internal Parigraha are subdivided into 14 as listed below:

1.      Mithyätva - False Belief

2.      Krodha - Anger

3.      Mäna - Ego

4.      Mäyä - Deceit

5.      Lobha - Greed

6.      Häsya - Laughter for joke or out of contempt (feeling of dislike for and superiority over others)

7.      Rati - Pleasurable indulgence

8.      Arati – Dejection (a sad and depressed state; low spirits)

9.      Bhaya – Fear

10.   Shoka – Sorrow

11.   Jugupsä – Disgust (Hatred or Aversion)

12.   Purusha-ved - Urge to have sensual pleasure with a female

13.   Stree-ved - Urge to have sensual pleasure with a male

14.   Napunsak-ved - Urge to have sensual pleasure with both, male & female

 

Other mental states referred to as internal attachments are attributable to acquisition and protection of various kinds of objects. While greed, deceit and ego are involved in the uncontrollable desire for accumulation; fear, anger or sorrow are aroused when one has to part with the objects.

Now let’s decode Aparigraha

In Jainism and Patanjali-yoga system the principle of non-possession (Aparigraha) is accepted as fifth vow, but if viewed closely it is the first basic principle. Jain thinkers are of the view that if this very principle is violated all other vows automatically becomes violated because at the root of violence and theft there is lust for power and possession.

According to Uttaradhyayana Sutra the root of all physical and mental sufferings is the desire for worldly enjoyment, therefore only detachment from the worldly enjoyment can put an end to one’s suffering.

·      Materialism does not have an effective means to quench the thirst for  possession of worldly objects.

·      However, the concept of Parigrah Parimana (minimum possession for healthy survival) does not forbid an individual to fulfill his basic needs such as shelter, hunger, thirst, etc.

·      The fundamental message of this principle is to eradicate the desire for power, possessions, and lust for sensuous enjoyments.

·      When we dive in details, we find that the most intense Vaasanaa or desire is called Granthi; which is a deep attachment towards worldly objects and a desire for their enjoyment.

·      The classical term for Jainism is Nigganthadhamma. The term niggantha means one who has unknotted his Hrdaya–granthi, or one who has eradicated his attachments and passions.

·      The term Jina (tirthankar) also conveys the same meaning. A true Jina is one who has  eradicated or removed his passion.

Lord Mahavira teachings about Aparigraha

Jainism as per Lord Mahavira can be summarized in just one word – Ahimsa. And the first step to reach that state is Aparigraha. Non-violence cannot be understood without knowing non-Hoarding or detachment. Hoarding is the cause of violence. Desire, violence, and hoarding are linked, and they support one another, they run together. Lord did not insist on control over the quantities of useful commodities nor to earn less money, but he emphasized on control over desires. Because hoarding and violence run in the same circle.

There are 5 main sins, Violence, Lies, Stealing, Lust and Greed. Defining further, we find that, Greed (wants / hoarding) is the main cause of the remaining 4 sins. (Source). Maybe this is the reason Aparigraha appears multiple times in the path shown by Lord Mahavir.

संग णिमित्तं मारइ, भणई अलीकं, करेन चोरिक्कं, 

सेवइ मेहुण-मिच्छं, अपरिमाणो कुणदि पावं

समणसुत्तं 140

As per this gatha, Humans do violence out of attachments. Tells lies and steals for hoarding and wants.

Few quotes from Lord Mahavira Scriptures:

In another form they are also similarly described in 12 bhavna’s (contemplations).

·       Wealth cannot give happiness and peace to humans. One who amassed wealth with a view to achieving peace in life makes a terrible mistake. In fact, the more he gains wealth, the more he is bound.

·        All the objects of the world are transitory, and they cannot give real happiness and that one will leave this world without being accompanied by his friends and family or any relatives let alone to think about wealth.

·       Human’s desires are infinite, and so infinite that they can never be quenched even if the whole world’s wealth including all of gold and silver are placed at his disposal.

·       A person who hoards even the slightest amount of an animate or inanimate thing or gives consent to someone for hoarding, will not escape from misery. Source.

·       One who is completely free from all possessiveness, is calm and serene in his mind and attains bliss of emancipation which even an emperor cannot obtain. Source

·       While defining Aparigraha – we need to analyze its 2 aspects. Bhav Paksh and Dravya Paksh.

§  The desire to hoard and possess constitutes what is called the Bhav paksh (motive) of parigraha

§  And the actual possession of things constitutes what is called the Dravya paksh (possessing).

§  Of these 2 material aspects, the first one is the real parigraha.

As we can see different forms of Parigraha can lead to suffering within us and in others around us. Aparigraha is the way for self-realization. Our five senses along with anger, conceit, delusion, and desire are difficult to eliminate, but when the self is realized, all these are completely eliminated.

So, now let's talk about how we can apply this principle in our day-to-day life.

So, how to live by this principle

In the real world, actions are equally important, it plays out and forms the base of ethics. Ethics, for the most part, has a social dimension. Our actions have their consequences in the community we live in. Therefore, only our intentions are not enough. It is our actions which will reflect our intention and character and will be the unfailing and sure yardstick of the purity of our intention.

The way to live by the five principles (Ahimsa, Aparigraha, Satya, Achaurya and Brahamcharya) are explained in two different ways in Jain conduct (achar):

1.    Mahavrats (big vows) – guiding principles for Sadhujis and Sadhvijis (Monks and Nuns)

With regards to Aparigraha vow, Jain ascetics are completely non-possessive irrelevant of size, amount or value. The required food and shelter for ascetic’s survival are provided by local Jain community of Shravak and Shravika.

The monks and nuns follow this vow strictly. Whoever frees himself from the instinct of possessiveness, can renounce his possession. A monk who has nothing of his own, only he, has really seen the path of liberation. Source

2.    Anuvrats (mini vows) – guiding principles for Shravaks and Shravikas (Jain laypeople)

The Aparigraha vow for Jain lay people is “Parigraha Parimana Vrat” meaning they can have limited possessions for their healthy survival, for the survival of monks and nuns, for survival of Jain Dharma.

For the householder, an absolute renunciation of Parigraha is not possible. However, one should voluntarily decide upon the extent of property and wealth that one wants to acquire and refrain from all activities of acquisition after the target is reached.

Any additional possession beyond these survivals, are considered a form of stealing and should not be accumulated by them.  If for some reason they have accumulated more possessions then they should be donated anonymously for the betterment or other human beings, animals, and environment and other like causes.

In Samman Suttam it is mentioned that “The renunciation of attachment is useful for controlling the sense-organs“. Certainly, the control of sense-organs is the same thing as freedom from all possession. Source

Summary

There are many nuances that we need to understand when it comes to Aparigraha. We need to understand the nature and the impact of our internal and external possessions and possessive mindset. 

As absolute renunciation of parigraha is not possible for us laypeople, our spiritual work is to recognize our mindset regarding material possessions, cultural programming, and then breaking out of those barriers such that any form of parigraha doesn’t cause suffering and kashayas within us and in others around us.

Additionally, understanding and practicing Aparigraha lays the foundation for us to practice all the other Jain principles and for our spiritual growth. The mindset of not attaching our sense of self, our worth, our happiness to material possessions or achievements, can free us from comparison, competition and various other kashayas that leads to emotional, mental and physical suffering.

Aparigraha teaches us to not consume or accumulate more than our needs and only get what we need to live right. Our greed and excessive possessions of material is also directly and indirectly exploiting our environment. We can use material possessions but with the awareness of its transient nature and its impact on other living beings and environment. We want to be mindful of our choices and the climate crisis article also talks about ways of practicing Aparigraha to live an environmental friendly life. We need to think about how much do we need? And how much is enough?

Additionally, Patanjali scholar, Dada Sadananda has explained Aparigraha in very good way. Consider watching it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63ei4ZJjHDY

Now, it is up to us to set our anuvratas / limitation. We all at some levels are aware of our basic needs and the wants / desires that is leading to Kashaya. We should be able to judge our needs from wants. At the end, we are the judge and jury of inner state and have the power to control and direct our life in a way that makes us content and happy, leading onto the path of spiritual progress.

References - Books & Articles with srl no. on jainelibrary.org

Srl No.	Type	Book Title	Author
3123	Book	Kaisi ho Ekkisvi Sadi	Mahapragna Acharya
1660	Book	Aparigraha the Humane Solution	Kamla Jain
250017	Article	Aprigraha its relevance in Modern Times	Angraj Chaudhary
3145	Book	Adhyatma ke Pariparshwa me	Nizamuddin
210089	Article	Aparigraha	Vina Jain
210090	Article	Aparigraha Ek Anuchintan	Anandrushi
211398	Article	Prashnottar Aparigraha	Jainendrakumar
211498	Article	Mahavir ka Aparigraha Ek Darshanik Vivechan	Shrichand Jain
211499	Article	Bhagwan Mahavir ka Aparigraha Siddhant aur Uski Upadeyta	Sagarmal Jain
212381	Article	Aparigraha Anasakti Yog	Amarmuni
33247	Book	Aparigraha ki Adhunik Sandarbh Me Prasangikta	Dayanand Bhargav
8026	Book	Saman Suttam	Jinendra Varni

Bridging the gap between Jainism Principles and the way it is Practiced.

Q23. How can we ensure that there is no gap between the purpose of Jainism and the way we practice it in our day-to-day life? And how can we bridge this gap if it occurs?

This is a very insightful and a useful question. The question itself challenges us to reflect on “being” vs. “doing” and be mindful of who we are becoming in process of all the “doing”.  This kind of consciousness helps us in being aware of our internal bhaav (thoughts and intentions) and enables to us to incorporate spirituality in all aspects of life.

Any activity which takes us closer to realizing our own true self is a religious activity and realizing our own true self is our religion.

When we understand the purpose of the religion, the core principles of the religion and then practice religion through our activities, rituals, and traditions, then there is no gap. And we also end up attaining the spiritual benefits from the religion. However, the gap occurs when religion is practiced without proper understanding or reflection.

We will first look at the purpose of Jainism, core principles and then talk about the gap.

Jainism Purpose

At a fundamental level, the core purpose of Jainism is to:

§  Eliminate mithyatva which means ignorance about reality and faith in wrong knowledge. I am a pure soul, and not a non-living substance which is this body.  My qualities are Infinite Knowledge (Anant Jnan), Infinite Perception (Anant Darshan), Infinite Bliss (Anant Sukha), and Infinite Energy (Anant Virya).

§  Eliminate or reduce kashaya which are my anger, ego, deceit, and greed

§  Strengthen spirituality to develop inner peace, calm, and stillness

§  Maintain equanimity, joy, and bliss within

§  Live a purposeful and meaningful life with constant awareness

The Karma philosophy is one of the core tenets of Jainism and it underscores the importance of our thoughts (bhaav). The vibration caused by our thoughts attaches the karma particles to our soul regardless of whether any action is carried out or not. This is why our internal being is of utmost importance when we are conducting any action. And the ultimate goal for us is to achieve the "no-mind" state, where there are no thoughts, we are living in the present moment and is the true nature of our soul. Whether we truly experience this state, or just understand is intellectually, we alone can answer that question. Hence, in Jainism practices like meditation, reflection and introspection are required and critical for spiritual growth and inner transformation.

In Jainism, there are no "thou shalt" like commandments. On the contrary, Jainism is an introspective religion guided by principles and value that create a moral compass for us. And not a religion of dogmatic blind faith and fixed rules.

Along with reflecting on the purpose of religion, we will contemplate on the core Jain principles that help us constantly reflect on our spiritual growth and inner transformation:

§  Ahimsa: Non-violence and compassion towards self, all living beings and environment through our thoughts, words, and actions. At the core, we should follow path of minimum violence for healthy survival (please review the Five senses and their role in Jainism article for more details).

§  Anekantvad: Acceptance of all positive views, no judgement and respect towards all living beings. Anekantvad reminds us that there is no absolute truth and helps us understand diversity in views, physical attributes, thinking, abilities etc.

§  Aparigraha: Non-possessive mindset towards worldly possessions; we should not consume or accumulate more than our needs.

§  Satya: Speak and support truth, while ensuring it doesn’t cause harm to others.

§  Asteya: Not steal or take anything that does not belong to us or is properly given to us.

Now let’s look into how the religion is commonly practiced and what causes the gap.

Religious Practices and the Gap

Religion, as a community, is generally practiced through rituals and traditions. Rituals and traditions play a significant role to build a culture, strengthen the religious values, and to create a sense of community. Rituals also important to instill values and build up religious interest in children, youth, and future generations.

When the rituals and activities are performed with proper understanding, awareness, and reflection then there is alignment with the true purpose of the religion, its values, and there is no gap.

However, when the rituals are performed without proper understanding and/or are not aligned with the principles then we start experiencing the gap, for example:

§  If rituals or activities are performed mechanically, without proper understanding or out of obligation, fear or show, instead of reflecting and experiencing the spiritual benefits, then there is gap.

§  If practicing religion or performing rituals is boosting our ego, instead of making us humble within, then there is a gap.

§  If while carrying out religious activities, there is anger and animosity amongst people, instead of maitri bhaav (friendship), then there is a gap.

§  If the rituals are performed as a token act of metaphorical cleansing but continuing to treat others unjustly in family, social, and business relationships, then there is a gap.

§  If we continue to remain ignorant and practice past traditions that involve cruelty towards moveable living beings, instead of avoiding violence to the environment and other living beings, then there is a gap. Some examples of this gap are:

o   Use dairy products like milk, ghee in our religious rituals. (see the article on dairy products for more details)

o   Wear silk clothes while doing puja, use woolen katasanu, charavolo, use peacock feather for broom, varakh etc. (see the on himsak product used in the rituals for more details)

o   Use products like styrofoam, plastic at the religious centers. (see the article on climate crisis for more details)

o   Dispose religious materials in the rivers, oceans, dry well or bury them in the ground which pollutes the ground and oceans and it is not legal.

So, the gap occurs when there is misalignment between our religious practices and the purpose and principles of the religion. And it appears that the primary reasons for the gap are ignorance, blind faith, following past traditions that are now obsolete, or performing rituals out of fear, ego, or greed.

As laypeople, we need social connections and activities. But somehow, we got to so focused on “doing” that we lost the sight of spiritual significance, why we are doing it, and who we are becoming in the process.

Many of our activities are carried out for generations and we stopped questioning them either out of fear, under the pretense of faith in religion, suppression or to not disturb the status quo. In addition, our societies recognize the activities that can be easily seen by others, like external penances and book knowledge. And that also makes it little more challenging to bridge the gap.

Why is it important to bridge the gap?

We need to bridge the gap so that we achieve the intended spiritual benefits from the religious practices and rituals, and subsequently achieve the inner transformation we wish to see within ourselves. Rituals are external stimulants, and its purpose is to create the right environment for us, the laypeople, to make spiritual progress.

It is also important to bridge the gap for the youth and future generations. The current age provides youth with much diversified cultural exposure, which makes them very aware and vocal about the lack of integrity between the values and actions. And this kind of disparity, when not addressed, drives them away from religion.

How do we bridge the gap?

The one line in Jain Agam Das-vaikalik sutra provides the essence of how our Tirthankara envisioned the religion should be practiced.

“Padhamum Jnanm Tao Daya.“

First knowledge (Jnan) / understanding and then conduct or action.

Rituals or traditions should not be mistaken as a religion, but rather the spiritual benefit that we gain directly and indirectly by performing a ritual is the religion.

 

The core teaching by Bhagwan Mahavira urges us use our own logic, reasoning and learn from our own experiences.

To bridge the gap between the purpose of the religion and the way it is practiced, we need to approach it from society and individual level.

Society level

Some thoughts/ideas on how we can collectively bridge this kind of a gap at our Jain societies level:

§  Promote and establish practices such that all the rituals are performed with proper knowledge, understanding, awareness, and reflection. For example, performing Pratikraman with meaning.

§  Don’t make the rituals fear driven and ensure that the bhaav/intention remains in the forefront for all rituals.

§  Make information available and accessible in a manner that is easily understood by everyone - create more literature, YouTube videos, audios, articles, books.

§  Request monks/nuns, spiritual leaders, speaker to publicize the importance of bridging this gap.

§  Add more humanitarian, environmental, social cause activities at the centers.  Use Bio-degradable paper products. Do not use plastic or foam products.  Every center should have reuse/recycling centers.

§  Establish recycling centers for properly recycling religious material instead of following old practices that contributes towards climate crisis and are not legal.

§  Create a goal and work towards aligning of all the rituals and activities at the centers with the Jain principles and purpose. For example, take actions to mitigate climate crisis, avoid use of products (like milk, wool, silk, peacock feathers, saffron, varakh etc.) that involve cruelty towards moveable living beings.

These are things we need to know and understand and then pass them on to our future generations to set the right foundation at an early age. This enables in developing internal virtues like prayashchit, vinay, vayyavach, swadhyay and samadhi.

Individual level

Some thoughts/ideas on how we can bridge this kind of a gap at an individual level.

§  For any ritual or activity, we need to consistently measure and reflect on our inner transformation goals:

§  Am I gaining humility?

§  Is my ego reduced?

§  Am I genuinely asking for forgiveness from anyone I might have hurt and committing to not doing it again?

§  Am I truly forgiving others who did wrong to me?

§  Am I performing activities for recognition, name, fame, power, or any other rewards?

§  Is my anger and other vices are reduced?

§  Can I live by myself happily and can I remain happy in my own company?

§  Vayavach – Look for opportunities to serve others

§  Understanding the purpose of external and internal penances

§  Meditate and reflect upon our own virtues

§  Cultivate the strength to find happiness within, instead of looking outside for happiness

§  Eliminate or reduce our Mithyatva - I’m the soul and not the body. Live each moment in that awareness

§  Eliminate or reduce our Kashaya (anger, ego, greed, deceit)

§  Become an advocate to bring about the change required to bridge the gap at our centers

 

In summary

Jainism is an introspective religion, and it is up to each one of us to ensure that we bridge the gap with proper knowledge, awareness, and conduct. The goal is to practice religion in such a way that it becomes a spiritual journey for us, and it enhances every aspect of our life.

“Religion is belief in someone else's experience.
Spirituality is having your own experience.” - Deepak Chopra

So, it is not about what we do, or what role or tile we have, but it is about who we are internally and who we are becoming the process of all the doing. Once that awareness is in place, “what we do and how we do” follows naturally and is driven by that context and our values. Regular reflections are also help us see our blind spots and growth areas.