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Attributes of Sädhus in Digambar Tradition
Attributes of the Digambar monks (Sädhus) vary somewhat with one significant requirement that male monks are sky-clad or do not wear any clothes.
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5 Great Vows Mahä-vrata (Ahimsa, Truthfulness, Non-stealing, Celibacy, and Nonpossession)
5 Observations of five kinds of carefulness (Samitis):
Iryä Samiti (carefulness while walking)
Bhäshä Samiti (carefulness in talking)
Samvega - Disinterest in worldly affairs and interest in liberation
Conquering of Parishaha - Enduring hardships and suffering with equanimity
Sanlekhanä - Endurance and fearlessness towards death and associated pains, and also acceptance of voluntary death
Total Attributes
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Eshanä Samiti (carefulness while getting alms)
Ädäna Nikshepanä Samiti (carefulness while handling clothes and any object)
Pärishthä-panikä Samiti (carefulness while disposing excreta)
5 Control of five senses (Touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing)
6 Essentials (six Ävashyak - Devapujä, Gurupästi, Swädhyäy, Sanyam, Tapa, and Dana or imparting religious knowledge to the people)
6 other attributes
Kesha-lochan (Plucking of own hair) Asnäna (No bathing)
Bhumi Shayan (Sleeping on the floor)
Adanta-dhovan (No brushing of teeth)
Uttisthan-ähär Sevan (Eating food in standing posture only)
Supreme Beings
Arihanta
1
1
1
• Ekabhukti (Eating once a day only)
Some schools maintain monks not wearing any clothes, as an attribute in this section. According to them, Monks have twenty-eight attributes instead of twenty-seven.
Total Attributes of Pancha Paramesthi
Siddha
Acharya
Upädhyäy
Sädhu/Sädhvis (Monks/Nuns)
27
Total
Number of Attributes
12
08
36
25
27
108
JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE - 2
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