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Atmānusāsana
आत्मानुशासन
It is a pity that ascetics, bitten by the half-glances of women, are not able to rest themselves anywhere. Do not get into the company of such unpredictable and fickle ascetics. True ascetics, however, have caves as their residences, directions and the space clothe them, advancement in austerity is their pleasing food, and qualities like right faith (samyagdarśana), rather than women, are their charms. They have nothing to plead for. The men who plead for favours become smaller (downcast) than the atom, and the men who are self-respecting become bigger (exalted) than the space. The pride of the man who pleads gets transferred to the giver. (verses 150-154)
Since no amount of wealth can satisfy all supplicants, it is better to be poor than a man of wealth and cause dissatisfaction among the supplicants. The extremely deep pit of desires can only be levelled off by the wealth of self-respect (desirelessness). By successively renouncing objects, like wealth that the pit is filled with, noble men have levelled it off. (verses 155-157) In order to keep his body stable, the ascetic, rich in austerities (tapa), thinks of accepting a little food, offered with devotion by others, at a particular time and as per the method prescribed in the Scripture. This too causes great embarrassment to him. He observes self-imposed inflictions like fasting and partaking of only the unsavoury food. How can such an ascetic feel satisfied with the lowly sense-pleasures provided by karma? (verses 158-160)
Even for the ascetic seeking sensual-enjoyment, observance of vows, etc., is recommended; these enjoyments are in heaven. Karma can do no harm to the ascetic endowed with the knowledge-eye as his desire for life and wealth vanishes completely. The man who leaves the grandeur of king-ofkings (cakravarti) for the sake of austerities (tapa) reaches the highest level of adoration. (verses 161-164)
There is no wonder if the king-of-kings (cakravarti) leaves his kingdom for the sake of austerities (tapa). The great wonder is when the ascetic who had earlier renounced, like deadly poison, the sense-pleasures, falls down from the high of austerities to indulge again in those sensepleasures. Those who first acquire the treasure of austerities but leave it
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