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Charitra - Right Conduct: The endeavor to remain steady in a state of spiritual purity is called Charitra. Keeping in view the degrees of purity obtained in different cases, Charitra has been divided into the five classes as follows: Sämäyika Charitra: To maintain the attitude of equanimity and to give up all impure activities is called Sämäyika Charitra. The initiation ceremony signifying the initial stage of an ascetic's career, when the period of intended monkshood is brief, is called Itvarika or temporary Sämäyika. The same ceremony, when the period in question is life long, is called Yävatkathit or lifelong Sämäyika. The lifelong Sämäyika starts after the initiation of ascetic life (sixth Gunasthänak). The remaining four types of Charitra are various forms of Sämäyika, with certain specialties. Chhedo-pasthäpana Chäritra: The ceremony of newly initiated ascetics is repeated with a view to retaining the ascetic's career for his whole life is called Chhedo-pasthäpana Charitra. Similarly, when the initiation ceremony for an ascetic's career for his whole life took place earlier and is in Sämäyika Charitra, but is vitiated by some defect and has to be undergone again to stabilize him back in Sämäyika Charitra, it is called Chhedo-pasthäpana Charitra. The first is called Niratichär Chhedo-pasthäpana characterized by conduct without fault; the second is called Sätichär Chhedo-pasthäpana characterized by a conduct with fault. Parihära-vishuddhi Chäritra: The third one is characterized by a course of conduct dominated by certain special types of penance and special type of knowledge is called Parihära-vishuddhi Charitra. Sukshma-samparaya Charitra: The fourth is the case of an aspirant who is in tenth Gunasthäna, in which the Kashäyas like anger, ego and deceit do not manifest themselves at all but there is the presence of the subtlest amount of greed. That is called Sukshma-samparaya Charitra. Yathäkhyäta or Vitaräga Chäritra: The fifth relates to the aspirant who is in the eleventh and higher Gunasthäna where there is complete suppression or elimination of Deluding Karma and Nokashaya whatsoever manifests itself and the conduct happens to be as it should be. That is called Yathäkhyäta or Vitaraga Charitra.
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