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910
THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
for faults committed through inadvertence
or negligence, iii. parihara-visûddhi, refraining from himsứ, iv. sukśmasâmparaya, control of the lower nature
where greed is reduced to a bare unrecognisable trait and all other passions are
fully under control, and v. yathâkhyâta (perfect) which characterises those
who have destroyed all of their passions
and lusts. These are the diverse means prescribed for changing the negative condition of the soul and for ridding it of its desires. They aim at engendering the spirit of vairagya (renunciation or desirelessness) in the soul, weaken and destory the bonds of its karmas and enable it to acquire its divine attributes and powers.
With the doorways of sin closed and fastened with the bolt of renunciation, the effect of the evil deeds of the past can be burnt up and destroyed in no time.
The process of destruction of karmas is called nirjara, which is the sixth tattva. The main cause of success in nirjarà is the attitude of undisturbed mental tranquillity or equanimity which is developed by practising the rules of conduct laid down in connection with samvara. But as the rigidity of these rules makes it impossible for a beginner to observe them without faltering, the conduct prescribed for the house-holder who has just entered on the 'path' is characterised by a lesser degree of severity than that laid down for a muni (an ascetic or 'homeless' saint). For instance, while the latter's vow relating to the control of the sexual passion signifies nothing less
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