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The Followers of the Ever Growing One
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less fervent than the āryikās of times past or than those of our own day. The Bhattārakas, even if they let lapse the previous rigorous, radical and uncompromising asceticism, often remained' highly cultured religious guides. The āryikās benefitted from this atmosphere, which was conducive to intellectual pursuits, and they took part in the cultural achievements of their own era and milieu.
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