Ratnakaraṇḍa Śrāvakācāra — a simple guide

• What it is: A classic Digambara Jain text in Sanskrit, composed by Ācārya Samantabhadra. It is a concise manual that teaches the right conduct (śrāvakācāra) for lay followers (śrāvakas and śrāvikās).

• Aim: To help a householder live with samyak-darśana (right faith), samyak-jñāna (right knowledge), and samyak-cāritra (right conduct), while gradually reducing sins and karmic bondage.

• Core practices it teaches:

- The 12 lay vows - 5 aṇu-vratas: small vows mirroring the great vows—ahiṃsā (non‑violence), satya (truth), asteya (non‑stealing), brahmacarya (chastity as appropriate to household life), aparigraha (limited possessions). - 3 guṇa-vratas: dig‑vrata (limiting movement/space), deśa‑virati/ bhoga‑upabhoga‑parimāṇa (limits on enjoyments), anartha‑daṇḍa‑virati (avoiding purposeless harm/sin). - 4 śikṣā‑vratas: sāmāyika (daily equanimity/meditation), deśāvakāśika or deśa‑paryāya (further space/time restraint), proṣadha/poṣadha (fast-like holy day observance), atithi‑saṃvibhāga (sharing alms with worthy ascetics). - Daily discipline: sāmāyika, pratikramaṇa (confession and repentance), modest diet and restraint, vigilance in speech/thought/deed. - Charity and reverence: right dāna to sādhus, care for life, and humble service free of pride. - Gradual path: guidance on progressing through the eleven pratimās (stages of an ideal layperson) culminating in stronger restraint and, at life’s end, acceptance of sallekhanā (the peaceful, vow-based fast to reduce passions), undertaken only with full awareness and right faith.

• Spirit of the text: Be gentle to all life, speak truthfully, earn honestly, consume mindfully, reduce attachments, and cultivate inner equanimity—while fulfilling household duties with vigilance and humility.

• Tradition notes:

- Ratnakaraṇḍa Śrāvakācāra is a Digambara authority. Its teachings on the 12 vows and lay ideals are accepted across Jain traditions. - Śvetāmbara works on lay conduct present the same essentials (12 vows, daily sāmāyika, poṣadha, atithi‑saṃvibhāga), though terminology and some ritual details may vary. The overall meaning and intent remain the same: purification through restraint and right living.

If you wish to explore related basics of vows and daily practice in simple language, see this overview on JainKnowledge