Page 110 - Courage Redifined

someone to exercise those sins or you may accept or appreciate
someone’s sinful acts. All theseare sins i.e. exercising sinful
activities on your own is definitely a sin but inspiring others
to perform such deeds is also a sin. Not only this, but if you
consider someone’s sinful acts to be good and appreciate it,
then that is a sin too.

For eg. you created conflicts and fought with your brother.
This is a sinful exercise. Also if your purposely instigated
someone and made him fight with his brother, then this is also
a sinful act. Additionally, you had conflicts with someone and
his own brother fought with him and defeated him. Seeing
this you got delighted. This means that you became happy in
someone’s wrong act which is an appreciation of the sin of
creating unnecessary conflicts.

It is mandated for Jain saints to not accept the food made by
shravakas for other saints. It means that neither that particular
saint has allied for the preparation of food nor has he indirectly
asked someone to prepare that food but the devotional shravaka
has prepared the food with the intention of giving it in alms.
Then why are Jain sadhus prohibited to accept that food ?
Because accepting that food in alms means that you permit
the violence of the living beings of fire and water which has
occurred during the preparation of that food. This is a sin of
appreciating a wrong act.

Now the question that is bound to rise here is that,

Q. : If the householder shravaka has prepared food for his
own self and the sadhu accepts it in alms, then isn’t he
said to permit and agree to violence ?

A. : No, because the sadhus have an oath to refrain from
violence done by him, done by others for him and
appreciation of violence done for him. Hence, if the

100 Courage Redefined