Pravachanasara

SR No.: 003289
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram
Publication Year: 1964
Total Pages: 612
Language: Hindi, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 16 MB

Page 90

Introduction
approach a great and worthy teacher and request him for admission to the order, being ideally non-attached. He should receive his course of duties consisting of 28 mulagunas or primary virtues; he is a defaulter in case he is negligent about them; if the primary virtues are violated, in spite of his carefulness, he should report and confess before a worthy teacher and practise the prescribed lustral course; he should always see that the primary virtues are not violated. Negligent and careless activities are always harmful to living beings; it is not so much the question of objective and actual sin; and a monk of careless conduct is called a murderer of living beings, whether they are actually killed or not (1-4, 10, 8-9, 11-12, 30, 16-8). Absolute non-attachment should be his aim. He is not to be attached either to food or to fast, either to residence or to touring, or to paraphernalia, or to comonks, or to unhealthy gossip. Attachment means bondage, and even a particle of attachment hinders the attainment of liberation; desirable or undesirable relations and objects are all equal to him; complete immunity from attachment and aversion means the destruction of karmas (13-5, 19, 39, 41-4).
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He is allowed to keep only a little quantity of paraphernalia which does not involve sin and which is essential for the practice of his primary virtues. The only acceptable ascetic paraphernalia is said to consist of the bodily form with which one is born, the words of the teacher, (disciplinary) modesty and the study of sacred texts. Other articles of use, on account of his non-attachment, are sure to disturb him and his course of conduct. He should not have any attachment even for the body which he simply sustains, and yokes to austerities without concealing his ability (21-3, 20 3-5, 24-5, 28). A monk should be constantly applied to the study of scriptures whereby he acquires certainty of knowledge and meditational concentration. The scripture is his eye, and enlightens him on the nature of objectivity constituted of both self and non-self. This scriptural study prepares him for selfdiscipline and self-control; and the value of the same will be heightened when he is completely non-attached (32-6, 39). The diet and tourings of the monk are proper; he takes one meal a day which is not stomachful, which is in the form in which it is obtained, which is obtained by begging and by day, and wherein there is no consideration of juices. He completely abstains from flesh and wine which involve the destruction of living beings. When the monks accept that little quantity of faultless food, it is as good as they are without food (26, 29, 29 18-20, 27).
If liberation is to be obtained, faith and self-control are the necessary accompaniments of scriptural knowledge. The monk should observe fivefold carefulness, control his three channels of activities, curb his senses, subdue his passion and cultivate faith, knowledge and discipline. He should stand up etc. when a great teacher arrives, and honour him according to his merits. A meritorious coäscetic always deserves regard. A monk degrades himself, if he does not recognise the meritorious and if he expects reverence from those who [p. 61: ] are more worthy than himself. He should keep himself aloof from monks of inferior merits and from the company of commoners; and try to stay with equals or superiors (37, 40, 47, 61-7, 70).
The monks are endowed with either auspicious or pure manifestation of consciousness; it is the pure one that is free from karmic influx. Subhopayoga