388
Aptavani-2
Vows : Major and Minor as prescribed by the Lord
Dadashri : What is your religion?
Questioner : I am a Jain.
Dadashri : If you are a Jain, then there is nothing more
for you to learn, is there?
Questioner : There is always something to learn as long
as we have this body, is there not?
Dadashri : Should we not have the awareness of how
many miles we have covered and how many miles remain on this
path of liberation? Many just keep on walking ahead, so surely
they must have covered so many miles by now?
Questioner : Yes they must have.
Dadashri : How many miles must have been covered?
Questioner : How can I say that? I am not enlightened.
How would I know?
Dadashri : As many major vows (mahavrats) one has
adopted, that many miles he has covered. Or in lieu of the
mahavrat, if he has adopted minor vows (anuvrat), then his
progress is in proportion with the sincerity with which he has
adopted the anuvrat. Because in the anuvrat, he takes a vow not
to steal but within him there is also greed, hence on the one hand
he has needs and on the other he is adopting the anuvrat. So in
the process of preserving the anuvrat he is also addressing the
greed within. Hence as many anuvrats he has covered is the
number of miles he has progressed.