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By exhibiting disrespect towards sublime souls or principles laid down by the omniscient the living being collects bad karmas. As a result thereof he loses good traits and wanders in the mundane world for an infinite period. Such ashatanas are thirty three:
1. Disrespect towards omniscents: The souls, that have destroyed four kamas that malign the soul are called arihantas. After gaining omniscience, arihants establish the order of dharma for the welfare of the world. They teach the path leading to salvation for the worthy people wandering in the wilderness. So Arihantas are worthy of respect. In case any person has a doubt in the omniscience of Arihantas or finds fault in the principles laid down by them or considers 34 special characteristics, and 35 special qualities of these voice as flight of imagination is disrespect towards Arihantas.
2. Disrespect to liberated souls (siddhas): Siddhas are these souls who are completely free from bondage of eight karmas, who are stationed at the uppermost edge of the universe (Loka) and who possess perfect knowledge and perfect conation. To deny the existence of Siddhas and to contemplate that there cannot be happiness when the soul is without any body is termed as disrespect to Siddhas.
3. Disrespect to Acharyas : Acharya is the person who meticulously follows the five types of ascetic conduct and propagates it among the order. They are responsible for maintaining discipline in the order. To ignore the dictates of Acharya and not to accept their commands is disrespect to the Acharya. 4. Disrespect to Upadhyayas: Upadhyays are responsible for propagating scriptural knowledge. To find fault in their lectures or not to accept their version or to call them as these having shallow knowledge is called disrespect to upadhyayas.
5. Disrespect towards monks: To call monks leading the life of self-restraint as wagebonds or to cut jokes at them is disrespect to sadhus.
6. Disrespect to Jain monks: Not to show respect toward Jain nuns and to
say that women are at the root of all quarrels. They cannot follow ascetic description totally and they cannot attain salvation is disrespect towards Sadhus.
चतुर्थ अध्ययन : प्रतिक्रमण
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Avashyak Sutra
