Page Text
________________
other people can observe, while those of the second kind are experiential, not noticeable to the outer eye.
Young Munishree experimented with both kinds in order to keep his body, senses, and mind clean, and to strengthen his power to burn away any weakness, delusion, distraction or fear.
One form of external tapah which he and his father engaged in was accepting voluntarily physical hardship with a positive cheerful spirit. At one time, they decided to stay at Pālitānā for four months in order to observe navvanu the practice of ascending Mount Satruñjaya ninety-nine times. To some, this might have appeared to be a rigorous discipline in the hot and humid weather. But as Munishree Chandraprabh discovered, all tapah depended on one's attitude. They had enthusiasm to climb. They knew that it was healthy for their lungs and body limbs. They felt what a good feeling came from taking in fresh oxygen, building their muscles, and opening themselves to the pure vibrations of the sacred mountain. Every morning they prepared themselves for the climb. They anticipated it with joy for they knew it was hastening the shedding of their karmas and bringing them sound health. So a feeling of vigor and celebration accompanied them each morning as they observed this form of tapah. Each time they made the ascent, they felt more and more light, more and more blissful.
This was the positive attitude which Munishree took toward all forms of tapah. In this way, he avoided falling into the trap of asceticism or self-punishment. He always kept the purpose in mind and watched how the discipline made him stronger and healthier.
Fasting was another kind of external tapah. For the monks, fasts varied from one day to several weeks, but each one observed fasting according to his individual metabolism. At times, a fast meant renouncing certain kinds of food such as milk, butter, honey, green vegetables, and sweets. At other times, it meant to refrain from all kinds of food for a limited period of time and to drink only boiled water. Certain fasts recommended eating less than what was needed to assuage one's hunger, or choosing to limit one's intake to only one
110
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
| SR No. | 001808 |
| Book Title | Chitrabhanu Man with Vision |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Clare Rosenfield |
| Publisher | Jain Meditation International Centre New York |
| Publication Year | |
| Total Pages | 326 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English & Biography |
| File Size | 24 MB |