If you believe in eastern philosophies then soul never dies but keep changing body one after another. So in a true sense and absolute point of view the body is also a temporary possession. Animals don’t accumulate material possessions but human being can’t live without outer possessions with an exception of Jain Digambar saints who don’t keep even a piece of cloth.

Recently minimalism is becoming fab and even young generation is adopting the concept of minimalism where people keep minimum possessions and don’t own even a house or vehicle. Keep minimum clothes, shoes, utensils etc. it doesn’t mean that they stop earning but keep their savings in various liquid assets only.

For Jains it’s not a new concept and around 2500 years ago Mahavira the 24th Tirthankara included vow of Aparigraha (non-possessions) as one of the five most important vows. In Tattvarthsutra Acharya Umaswami has defined PARIGRAHA as attachment to anything.

मूर्च्छा परिग्रह:॥१७॥TS

परिग्रह का अर्थ क्या, तू ले अब यह जान।
ममत्व का भाव जहाँ, परिग्रह की पहचान॥७.१७.२५३॥

प्रमाद द्वार मन वचन व काया से ममत्व परिणाम होना परिग्रह है।

Attachment to anything with carelessness of thoughts, words and actions is called possessiveness (parigrah).

As per this definition for any householder having attachment to possessions or non-possessions is more harmful than having possessions. Further Jainism defines possessions of two types. External and Internal. External possessions are also of two types. Living beings and non-living things. As per this classification even relatives are possessions if we keep too much attachment with them.

Internal possessions are mainly defined as passions such as anger, ego, deceit and greed. As a human being it is easier to leave external possessions but difficult to give up internal passions.

5 tips for minimalism as per Jainism:
1. First Reduce external possessions
2. Reduce attachment even for things we don’t have but we plan to have.
3. Reduce passions such as anger, ego, greed etc.
4. set limits for consumptions of material things.
5. Give away as charity which you don’t need.