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What are the five great vows followed by Jain ascetics?
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Jainism
Statue of the Jain Tirthankara (saviour) Mahavira.
In Jainism, the five great vows, known as the mahavratas, are strictly observed by ascetics for life. These vows are fundamental to the practice of ahimsa, the ethical principle of nonviolence, which serves as the standard by which all actions are judged.12
The five great vows are:
- Noninjury (Ahimsa): The commitment to prevent injury to any living soul (jiva), including insects, plants, and microbes, whether knowingly or unknowingly.12
- Abstention from lying: A commitment to truthfulness in all circumstances.1
- Abstention from stealing: A commitment to never take what is not given.1
- Chastity: A commitment to complete celibacy.1
- Renunciation of all possessions: A commitment to owning nothing, reflecting a total detachment from material goods.1
While laypeople follow more moderate versions of these principles known as anuvratas (small vows), ascetics are expected to uphold these mahavratas with the highest level of rigor to avoid the accumulation of karma.12