Ten Cardinal Virtues

Digambara sect follows “Dasa Laksana Mahaparva” (festival of ten cardinal virtues) for spiritual welfare. They are as under^[1] :

1. Ksama (forgiveness, forbearance): Here, five ways of forgiveness are suggested for cultivating forbearance. By various ways either of considering whether or not the cause of anger lies in oneself, or the harm that follow from an angry mood, or the childish nature of the offender concerned, or the whole affair to be a consequences of one’s own past karma, or the merits of forbearance.

2. Mardava (Humility, modesty, humbleness): Lack of pride, ego or selfishness. To accept what one is.

3. Arjava (Straightforwardness): Simplicity, lack of fraudulent attitude or synchrony between thoughts, speech and actions. It is to keep consistency in thought, speech and action towards wholesome purpose.

4. Sauca (Pure heart, contentment): Lack of greed. This virtue is the purest of all and for removal of root cause of all sins. It is the sense of removal of attachment that pollutes the soul.

5. Satya (Truthfulness): Try to know the things as it without differentiating. It is truthfulness with genuine, clear, helpful and aggreable approach.

6. Samyam (Self control, restraint): Control over violence and all worldly pleasures, which leads finally to liberation.

7. Tapa (Austerity): Penance is the repentance of all sins. Tapa is fire which burns all forces of karmic dust to ashes. It is observed to gain strength and self-control to overcome defiling tendencies. Many Jains observe one year long austerity called “Varsitapa” consisting of strict fasting on alternate days and one or two meals on in between days.

8. Tyag (Renunciation): This is done giving up all external and internal possessions. It is total renunciation, sacrifice and giving-up.

9. Aparigraha (Detachment): This is just lack of possession from beginning. It is also called as “Akincanya”, absence of possessions or non-attachment to go towards soul.

10. Brahmacarya (Celibacy): It is absolute restraint for all sensual pleasures by body and mind.

With observance of all these, with its purity, the soul has infinite perception, infinite knowledge, infinite vigor and infinite bliss.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Jain Philosophy and Practice-1, The Federation of Jain Associations in North America, 2002, p.134