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918
THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
or appointment. The course of training here is twofold, the preliminary and the advanced. The householder in the preliminary stage of this pratimâ is called a kshullaka, and the one in the more advanced, an ellaka. The kshullaka wears a langoti and a sheet of cloth, three cubits long and of a single width, but the ellaka rejects the wrapper and keeps only the langoti. As regards begging for food, a kshullaka, if he belong to any of the three higher castes, should eat only what he gets from one household ; but he may visit five houses one after another if he happens to be a sudra. In no case should he call at another house after getting sufficient food for the day, but should sit down and eat. it at the last house visited by him. While calling for food, he should not penetrate beyond the court-yard, hall or vestibule, nor ask or beckon for food, but should only wish the inmates dharma-lâbha (may you obtain spiritual merit). If not observed or welcomed with due respect, he should immediately depart from that place and proceed to another. In no case should he call at that house a second time that day,
The ellaka also observes these rules, but he eats what is obtained from one kitchen alone. Both the kshullaka and the ellaka eat only once a day, and go out in search of food between the hours of ten and eleven in the morning.
The eleventh pratimâ attained, the house-holder becomes a muni, and follows the rules of conduct prescribed for ascetics, which may be studied with the aid of other works. He has now no concern with the world and aspires to reach nirvana in the shortest time possible.
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