________________ 172 TATTVARTHA SUTRA iv) Ekatvanuprekhsa: Ekatva means aloneness. When one contemplates about the worldly life, he can make out that he was born alone and would die alone. If he deeply thinks, he can also make out that he has to bear the impact of diseases and such other painful situations without help from anyone. Others may sympathize with him, but no one can take over the pain. That contemplation can free him from the sense of attachment. v) Anyatvanupreksha: Anyatva means otherness, different from everything else. As such, this reflection is a corollary of the previous one. When one thinks over the worldly life, he can also make out that no worldly connection stays with him. The friends turn into foes and the relatives turn away their faces at times. Even if such situations do not arise, everyone is mortal and dies sooner or later. No one can prevent the death. One can thus realize that every person and every situation is different and away from the Self. vi) Ashuchitvanuprekhsa: Ashuchi means impurity. One of the ways to avoid attachment for the body is to ponder over its contents and composition. The body is made up of fat, meat, bones, blood, etc. These are the objects that we do not even like to look at. We take food and drinks for replenishing the loss caused by voluntary and involuntary activities, but the residues thereof are invariably turned into the despicable matter like stool, urine etc. This does not mean that the body is the storehouse of stool and urine. It is, however, a fact that its contents are in no way adorable or pleasing. However much we may clean the body, it continues to get dirty. It would therefore be wrong to consider it pure or pretty. That sort of contemplation can lead to averting undue attachment for the body. A more subtle way to avert attachment is to make out Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org
