Five great vows

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | 641 words | Copyright

Five great vows (mahāvrata). Vows undertaken by Jain ascetics, accepted as fundamental to Mahāvīra's teaching by both Digambaras and Śvetambāras. They are (i) ahiṃsā, the avoidance of killing any life-form; (ii) satya, speaking and thinking the truth, and avoiding lies; (iii) asteya, not taking what is not given; (iv) brahmacharya, renunciation of all sexual activity, including any kind of contact with women; (v) aparigraha, detachment from all objects of the senses, and from possessions. A later sixth vow forbids eating after dark. For the lay (and less demanding) equivalents, see ANUVRATA.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Five great vows." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Five great vows." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Fivegreatvows.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Five great vows." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Fivegreatvows.html

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