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Accumulation of even necessary articles in large numbers, expressing wonder at the prosperity of others, excessive greed and changing the proportions of existing possessions are all forms of Parigraha (worldly attachments). The virtue of non-attachment cannot be attained without discarding both types of Parigrahas (attachments). Only by discarding both, the soul can be made fully purified, clean and spotless. In Shraman culture merely discarding of the external attachments has got no value. Therefore, the living soul (a living being) will be called non-attached only when he gets rid of both internal and external attachments. The Jain scriptures say that attachment equivalent even to a 'Til' (Sesum seed) brings extreme sorrow and suffering in its wake.
A man took resort in a forest renouncing all worldly attachments. At that time he owned no possessions except a cloth piece. In daytime he used to wrap it round his body to clothe it, and at night he would spread it on the ground to make a bed to sleep in. In the forest there lived many rats, which nibbled his cloth. The man thought of protecting his cloth from the rats anyhow. With this idea he tamed a cat. Milk was needed to feed the cat. So the man had to tame a cow as well. But grass (fodder) was required for the cow. Now to employ a cowherd became essential for this job. A house was then needed for the cowherd. As soon as the house was built, a maidservant was engaged to look after the house. The maidservant expressed her desire to keep her kith and kin along with her. The man built separate houses for every one of them.
Thus, in some days the forest was filled with the hustle and bustle of the city, yet his troubles went on increasing by leaps and bounds. The underlying idea is that by and by even a petty attachment assumes large dimensions in the long run. Therefore, it is most essential to get rid of attachments at the initial stage. Every man should think that he has certainly to depart from this world one day, leaving behind land, house, gold, sons, wife and relations - in fact leaving even his body. Hence, why all this mad strife for worldly attachments.
A fine description about attachments has been given in the following verses:
Tinrmitu parigahu jath nrathi, akinchanru so nriymainr athi Apapar jath biyarsati, pydijyi jahim parmaithi bhati
Chhadijyi jahim sankap duth, bhoyanru vanchhijyi jahim anrith
Akinchanru dhammu ji aim hoyi, tam jhayijyi nriru ith loyi
I.e., Where there is not the least attachment equivalent even to a straw, as a rule there lies the vow of non-attachment. Where a man is endowed with the power to distinguish between self and non-self; where reverence and devotion is shown to the five divinities; where evil thoughts are discarded; and where there is no ambition for tasty foods, there lies the virtue of non-attachment. Indeed, he, who is desirous of storing, is a householder and not a monk. A man should practice the virtue of non-attachment in this world. To obtain real knowledge is extremely essential for this purpose. It has been said:
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