Jaina Mysticism and Other Essays

SR No.: 006933
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy
Publication Year: 2002
Total Pages: 166
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

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of spiritual energy must automatically result in the gradual renunciation of the causes of physical nourishment. In the first place, only milk and whey should be continued after having abandoned the solid food, then after giving up even the former, only hot water should be taken. Subsequently fasting should be observed. Then after entirely devoting himself to the meditation on the fivefold holy names of Arhant, Siddha, Ācārya, Upādhyāya and Sādhu, the aspirant should bid farewell to his body. While practising Sallekhanā the Sādhaka should avoid the following faults" - (1) desire to live, (2) desire to die, (3) remembrance of friends, (4) revival of past pleasures, and (5) expectations for future prosperity. Samantabhadral2 takes out ‘revival of past pleasures' and puts 'fear' in its place. According to Uvasagadasāol3 the defects which should be avoided are – (1) longing for this world, (2) longing for the next world, (3) longing for life, (4) longing for death, and (5) longing for sensual pleasure.
Process of Sallekhanā in case of the Saint :
While practising Sallekhanā the saint may resort to any one of the three types of death, namely, (1) Bhaktaparijñāmaraña, (2) Ingini-maraņa, and (3) Prāyopagamana-maraņa.14 Only that saiņt who is confronted with incurable disease, intolerable old age, formidable famine, great weakness of hearing and sight, infirmity of legs, and certain inevitable troubles, and others like these has been permitted to adopt any of the above maraņas.15. He who is quite capable of pursuing his course of conduct well need not turn towards such deaths. 16 We shall now deal with the Bhaktaparijñā-maraņa. In the circumstances expressed above or when the occurring of natural death has been conceived to be a matter of certainty after a short duration of time (maximum twelve years), 17 the saint takes the guidance of some efficient Acārya, and resorts to the process of internal and external renunciation. The internal renunciation refers to the emasculation of the passions of anger and the like, while the external one, to the enervation of body.!' The saint renounces all Parigraha, attains all sorts of external and internal purity, and
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