1. What is Sin, and what are its kinds ?
Doing of which deeds many kinds of sufferings have to be endured in this world and in the next world and has to tolerate blame and defamation, is called Sin.
Sins are five - 'Himsa' ,i.e. Violence, 'Jhoot', i.e. Falsehood, 'Chori', i.e. Theft, 'Kushil,' i.e. unchastity/bad Character and 'Parigraha', i.e. Attachment to belongings.
2. What is the literal meaning of Sin (Papa) ?
"पाति रक्षति आत्मानं शुभादिति पापम्"।। ''तदसद्वेद्यादि", i.e. that which sets apart (saves) the soul from auspiciousness, is Sin, for example 'Asata-Vedniya', etc. (Pain - causing Karma).
3. What is violence ?
To kill any one by way of mind, speech and body, to cause pain, is called violence and to kill one's own-self is also called violence.
4. How many kinds the violence is ?
It is of four kinds - Intentional (Samkalpi), 'Arambhi Himsa", i.e. accidental or inevitable violence in performing various house-hold duties, 'Occupational' violence (Udyami Himsa) and Protective violence, i.e. for self defence (Virodhi Himsa).
1. Intentional Violence - The disposition to kill any being with definite intention, is Intentional violence. After determination to kill, any being may die or not but sin is necessarily occurs. Sacrificing any being, burning an effigy, beating photographs (paintings or pictures) made or carved on wood ,etc., eating globule sweets and biscuits of the shape of birds ,etc., violence in slaughter houses, using insecticides, killing birds, etc. in video games Laxman Rekha, equipments and other things for killing mosquitos, etc. all acts are Intentional violence.
2. Accidental Violence - The house-holder has to fetch the water for cooking, to burn the fire, to fan, to scratch vegetables, to clean the house and the body and has to wash the clothes ,etc. In these works six kinds of body-forms of living beings (Shatkaya) are afflicted. This is called Accidental violence. This kind of violence is forgiveable for a 'Shravaka' but these works should be performed with prudence and cautiousness.
3. Occupational Violence - The life of the house-holder can not run without money. He works as farmer, transacts business, accepts government services ,etc. for earning money. The violence that occurs in these activities, is Occupational violence. There is whole world of difference between Occupational violence and the occupation of violence. There is great and intense sin in carrying out slaughter house, fish-farming, poultry farming ,etc. it can not be included in Occupational violence, it is Samkalpi Himsa' (Intentional violence).
4. Protective Violence - If one has to wage or face war with any one for protecting self, for protecting family, society, culture, religious 'Aytana', (i.e. Deity, scriptures and Guru and the their followers), for protecting the nation, and even if some one is killed in this battle then it is Protective violence, for example Laxman had killed Ravana. This violence is forgiveable for 'Shravaka', only 'Samkalpi Himsa' (Intentional Violence) is abandoned by the Shravaka'; not the Accidental, Occupational and Protective Violence.
5. What is the equation of violence ?
- Violent without doing violence - for instance an angler (fisherman) went to angle fish, not a single fish was caught yet he will be called a Violent one. Some one moved off with the purpose to kill some one and that person was not found there, so he could not kill him, even then he will be stained with the sin of violence.
- Not Violent even occurance of violence - For instance, the doctor was operating a patient for curing him but he died, even then the doctor is not violent. Same is the case of a saint moving cautiously with 'Irya Samiti', vehicle of fire-brigade, ambulance ,etc.
- Violence is done by one but its effect (fruits) suffer many - One person is offering sacrifice thousands of men are seconding it (approving and appearciating it) ,all are guilty of sin and the fruit of this collective sin results in thousands of deaths in flood, rail and plane accidents, etc. Similarly, making merriment in the fight of animals-birds ,etc., enjoying burning of effigy etc. are examples of this type of violence.
- Violence is done by many but its result gets one - One ruler of kingdom attacking other state, wages war against him, Thousands of soldiers die killing each other. The sin of all will be attached to the king, the soldiers wield weapons indeed only for earning their bread. Whatever preparations and beginning are done in the marriage, its sin is attached to the bride and bridegroom.
- Work is the same but it effects are different - Formerly any one used to eat onion - potato and also himself cooked them. Now he has stopped eating onion - potato but is obliged to cook for other family members. Formerly the passion was intense now it is mild passion.
6. What are the reasons of violence ?
The violence is committed mainly due to four reasons -
1. Due to anger - Dwarka was burnt due to anger of 'Dwipayan Muni', story of king-Parrot, story of snake-mongoose-son and woman ,etc.
2. Due to pride - Bharat Chakravarti discharged the 'Chakra' (a kind of indefeatable weapon of Chakravarti) on 'Bahubali'.
3. Due to deceitfulness -
(i) Many person will be found who had kidnapped the child for money. Out of fear that what people will think/tell about them if their deceitful conduct is known to them, due to this reason they kill the child.
(ii) The improper conduct of wife is known to the husband, he tells in the house that he intends to adopt asceticism. The wife understands that her improper conduct has become known to him that is why he is assuming asceticism. She thinks that he will disclose her deceitfulness, therefore, she mixes poison in the food and serves that very food to the husband due to which the husband dies.
(iii) 'Abortion' is also the result of deceitfulness.
4. Due to greed - Pandavas were confined to be killed in the house of lac which was set on fire, it may well be, that they got out through the tunnel. The violence that is beings committed in slaughter house is also due to greed.
7. What is the fruit of relinquishing violence ?
1. Relinquishing only the meat of crow, Khadirsar Bheel (a soul of king Shrenika) will be a Teerthankara just in his next birth.
2. Yampal 'Chandal' (an outcaste) relinquished eating meat for one day (Chaturdashi), and became master of heavenly abode of pleasures and prosperity.
8. What is the return (effect) of violence ?
Violence is, precisely, the door of misfortune and ocean of sins. Meat-eaters suffer pangs of hell and here are liable to endure the sufferings of prison ,etc. (Jñãnarnav, 8/17-18)
9. What is sin of falsehood ?
That which is seen by eyes, is heard with ears, not telling just like that, is falsehood. Such type of truth should also not be spoken due to which any one may have to lose his life and to tell a blind a blind, a thief a thief, a robber a robber, is also falsehood, because telling a blind a blind causes pain to him. Some one has said -
अंधे से अंधा कहो, तुरतई परहै टूट।
धीरे-धीरे पूछ लो, कैसे गई है फूट॥
"Tell a blind, a blind, immediately he will react.
Ask him slowly and patiently, how eyes gone, in fact."
10. What are reasons of telling lie ?
Untruth (falsehood) is spoken due to nescience (Ignorance), anger, greed, fear, pride, affection, etc.
1. Affection - King Vasu told lie out of affection towards the wife of Guru - Story of Guru 'Kshirkadamb's' son - "Parvata', 'Narad', the son of seth , Prince Vasu.
2. Greed - 'Satyaghosha' named priest used to tell a lie due to greed.
11. What is the result of telling lie ?
'Satyaghosha told a lie, here he had to endure insult (defamation) and now is suffering grief in the hell.
12. What is the sin of theft ?
Taking thing kept by any one, forgotten by any one or a thing not given by any one or lifting it to give that to any other one, is called theft. All are aware of ten vitalities, but the eleventh vitality is grain. Vitality does not remain stable without grain, therefore it has also been called as vitality. Grain is obtained by money, therefore, the money has been called as the twelfth vitality. Therefore, stealing other's money means, in the right sense, precisely to take his vitality.
13. What are the reasons of stealing ?
A living beings indulges in stealing due to three reasons, viz due to poverty, to become a wealthy one and wishing that no one shouldremain rich ,i.e. the rich may become poor.
14. What is the effect (fruit) of stealing ?
On being caught, the thief has to endure many kinds of punishments and sometimes gets capital punishment, i.e. to be hanged till death and has to suffer the pains / griefs of hell in the next world.
15. What is the sin of bad character / conduct ?
Indulging in sexual relation with other woman /man, leaving his/her own married wife/husband, is sin of bad character. Abusing is also called sin of bad character.
16. Why the sin of bad character is done ?
One reason is the rise of 'Charitra-Mohniya,' i.e. conduct-deluding Karma, the other reason is the desire of sensual pleasure.
17. What is the effect (fruit) of the sin of bad character ?
Adulterous are caused to be embraced by hot and very hot puppets in the hell and here they suffer from disease of Aids ,etc. due to sin of bad character (Kushil).
18. What is sin of attachments to belongings ?
Having intense/strong feeling of myness or proprietary interest (delusion) in worldly objects like land, house, wealth, gold, silver ,etc., is the sin of attachment to belongings (Parigraha).
19. Why the possessions are collected ?
People collect possessions with the desire to become the wealthiest one in the world.
20. How the 'Shravaka' will lead his life without possessions.
What is necessary (a bare necessity) keeping that much is correct, keeping some more so as to enable to donote to the nation, for religion and to co-fellow religious fellows will be called accumulation but to collect more things than what is needed, is 'Parigraha' (attachment to belongings)
21. What is the effect (fruit) of attachment to belongings ?
When a big portion of possessions is lost the person becomes uneasy and distressed and when the government raids are conducted, the wealth is also lost and he has to endure disgrace as well. A possessor of too much possessions/belongings also binds the age of the hell.
22. Enumerate the names of persons who have become notorious in each of all these five sins ?
(Ratankarand Shravakachar, 65)
