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fearlessness.75Food, medicine, Upakarana (religious accessories) and the place of shelter is the other list of four objects.76 All these things should be worthy of the Patras. Only such things should be given as are useful for the pursuance of studies and for practicing austerities of a very high quality, and as do not bring about attachment, aversion, incontinence, Pride, sorrow, fear and the like.77Just as water washes away blood, so proper gifts to saints would for certain wipe off the sins accumulated on account of the unavoidable household affairs.78 The paying of obeisance to the holy saints causes noble birth; the giving of Dāna to them entails prosperous living; their servitude promotes high respect; their devotion determines gracious look; and the extolling of their virtues brings about celebrity.79 Vasunandi tells us that the gift to Pātras is just like a seed sown in a fertile land; the gift to Kupātras is just like a seed sown in a semi-fertile land; and the gift to Apātras is just like a seed sown in a barren land.80
4.1 Eleven Pratimas. (Eleven Stages for Becoming Excellent śrāvaka) The eleven Pratimās are denominated i. Darsana, ii. Vrata, iii. Sāmāyika, iv. Proşadha, V. Sacittatyāga, vi. Rātribhuktityāga, vii. Brahmacārya, viii. Ārambhatyāga, ix. Parigrahatyāga, X. Anumatityāga, xi. Uddistatyāga
Darśana-pratimā: The fist stage is Darśana-pratimā. After the attainment of Samyagdarsana the aspirant who should be styled Dārsanika-śrāvaka resolutely forsakes the use of odious things such as meat, wine and the like, and becomes indifferent to worldly and heavenly
75 Karttikeyanupreksā, 362, Amitagati-śravakācāra, IX. 83, 106, 107; Vasunandi-śravakācāra, 233 76 Ratnakaranda-śrāvakācāra of Samantabhadra, 117, Yaśastilaka andindian Culture, Page 283 77 Purusărthasidhyupāya of Amrtacandra, 170 78 Ratnakaranda-śrāvakācāra of Samantabhadra, 114 79 bid, 115 80 Vasunandi-śravakācāra, 240-242
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