________________
પ્રકરણ: 1
SPIRITUAL LIGHT.
Pārāshār Smruti that one who gives money to ascetics, beetle-leaves to a celibate and safety to a criminal, goes to hell and Manu Smriti also recommends that vessels of other things than metal and without holes should be used by an ascetic The Jain ascetics are not allowed to stay for a long time at any place except in the rainy season and should have no sort of intercourse with women, by holding conversation with them, gazing at them, talking amorously about them etc.
Even while walking, they should pay unremitting attention and care as not to tread over and kill any insect. The Shrimat Bhagawat, Narad Parivrājakopnishad, and Vishnu Smriti, amply and emphatically corroborate the above statement.
To be brief, an ascotic must endure all pains of opposites-cold heat, happiness, grief etc; he must be free foom passions, anger, greed, pride, deception, jealousy, love, hate etc; he should regard his body as a mere carcase needing no kind of embellishment, ornament or rich clothing. He should keep away from political discourses, tale bearings, medical and astrological learning and disputatious reasonings. Such is the grand ideal of asceticism. If one rigidly observes, he is sure to ascend spiritual mountains successfully, of course, it can not be expectad from all to practise and observe them too minutely and strictly but such a high and noble ideal pays no attention to actuality. Even a near approach to this ideal is likely to lead to a further success, drop reaching the highest goal of self realization.
223
