Agam 24 Chhed 01 Nishith Sutra Part 01 Sthanakvasi

Author(s): Amarmuni, Kanhaiyalal Maharaj
Publisher: Amar Publications

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€88. Even the systems which allowed non-vegetarian food, were so meticulous regarding the items, that co saint had the impunity to take whatever he likes, at random. That would affect his power of meditation. The meditation itself is so tough an exercise. It is of four levels : ärta, raudra, dharma and śukia. The first two are inauspicious, whereas the last two are auspicious. For all this, concentration of mind is quite essential.
In order to have a correct sense of yogic discipline the saints had to study the standard works to learn the various aspects of yogic exercises, rules and regulations. Sthāpānga, disallowed persons of immodesty, rashness, vulgarity, and those born in condemned families, to study the scriptures. The Njśīthasūtra prescribes punishment for a monk who read only the ‘upper' portions of the texts without going through the 'lower' portion. The students and the newly ordained saints had to read the texts but were not allowed to ask more than three questions.
The Chedasūtras and the Niryuktis refer to the fundamentals of monastic life ; utmost self-control is the prime condition for ascetic lise. The monk should get rid of all sorts of attachments to place, individual or any family etc. Daśavaikalika (155-7) describes : the monk should be firm like a mountain, unsupported like the sky, unattached to any single place like the bee, modest like the earth, unattached like the lotus and light as the windthese are the qualities expected of a monk.
The basic tenets for moral life refer to fivefold ācāra, twenty-eight principal virtues (mūlaguņas) and subsidiary virtues (uttaraguņas and twelve reflections (anuprekşā) etc. Besides this, observance of all Vratas (vows=virtues) and the acquirement of the fundamentals of Jainism, the monk has to remain mostly away from the social life. Yet he has to serve the ascetics, seniors as well as juniors, nuns and laymen.
Several works like Bịhat-kalpabhāșya, the Jitakalpabhāşya, the Mahāniśītha, the Cūrņis and the Vimsativimśikā describe ten types of punishments which formed the basis of monastic jurisprudence in the canonical texts.