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Q. Venerable one, what does the soul manifest through renunciation?
A. Through renunciation, the soul stops the doors of influx. As long as the doors of influx are not stopped, the flow of karma continues to enter the soul. As long as something is not renounced, the attachment to it does not go away and the karma-dust continues to come. Renunciation leads to the cessation of desires, because renunciation is not possible without limiting desires. Another great benefit of renunciation is that the thirst of the mind, the birth state and the fickleness are eliminated and the seeker experiences supreme peace.
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In conclusion, the six essentials are necessary actions for the seeker. Whether the seeker is a monk or a lay person, they perform these actions, but the intensity of their experience may vary. A monk can perform these actions with more intensity than a lay person, because monks are completely detached from the beginning. This necessary action is performed daily by the monk seeker.
The order of the six essentials is scientifically presented. The first, 'Samayik', teaches the practice of equanimity in life. Through the 'Twenty-Four Stavas', he develops the feeling of being free from attachment like the Tirthankaras. Through 'Vandanā', he adorns himself with the virtue of humility. Through 'Pratikramaṇa', he becomes introspective by detaching himself from all external and internal changes. Through 'Kayotsarga', he reduces the attachment to the body and dwells in the self. And in 'Pratikyāṇa', he accepts various types of renunciations for the future. In this way, the seeker awakens his spiritual life through the six essentials and takes steps on the path of liberation.
It is mandatory for the monks of the first and last Tirthankaras to perform the essentials regularly. If they do not perform the essentials, they are deviated from the monk dharma. Even if there is a fault, and even if there is no fault, one should perform Pratikramaṇa.
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Thoughts on the Shraman Sutra
The only religion that fulfills the desires of the aspiring souls is the one that can reside in the pure soul. Just as a farmer plows his land, adds manure, removes stones and weeds before sowing seeds, only then does he sow seeds in the field. Seeds cannot be sown in barren land or in stony, rocky land. Similarly, the heart is also a field. In it,
1. Uttaraadhyayanasutra A. 29 Sutra 14
2. Sapaddiccammano Dhammō, Purimassā Ya Pacchhimassā Ya Jiṇassā. Majjhimayāṇa Jiṇāṇaṁ, Kāranajāe Paḍikkamanāṁ ||
Āvashyakniryaakti, Ga. 1244
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