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सचित्र उत्तराध्ययन सूत्र
CHAPTER 30
ENDEAVOUR TO THE PATH OF PENANCE
Foreview
The caption of this chapter is 'Endeavour to the Path of Penance'. The subject matter is to move and endeavour to penance.
त्रिंश अध्ययन ३९०
Penance is panacea for annihilating karmas, purification of soul and attaining salvation. It is such a special chemical which distorts the feeling of oneness of soul and body and thereby establishes soul in its natural state and manifests its inherent natural virtues by giving heat to karma filth purifies the soul.
But it is essential that penance must be penance only. It is necessary that its aim should be annihilation of karmas and purification of soul. Only such penance is right penance.
Contrary to this, if desire of empirical pleasures, name, fame, glory etc., are enjoined then it becomes wrong penance or ignorant penance which is nothing but punishing the body. Such penance becomes heat only, which torments and burns the soul. Such penance does not burn the karmas but only distresses the soul and becomes the cause of transmigrating the soul in this world of four existences.
Therefore by the viewpoint of soul benefit penance ought to be right penance only.
In the preceding twentyeighth chapter the four causes were described for attaining liberation, among them penance was the last and infallible cause; but there only hints were made and only the names were given; while in this chapter subject matter of penances described and analysed in detail.
Primarily the penances are of two kinds-(1) external and (2) internal.
External penances are divided into six types-(1) Fast, (2) Abstinence-Eating less than full meal, (3) renouncement of tastes (dainty food) (4) seeking alms (5) mortification of body. and (6) lodging and bed in lonely place.
There are many other sub-divisions too of fast penances etc.
The greatest benefit of external penances is, that by practising these penances, the penancer gets rid of addictment to body, lust of tastes and eating (meals) and comfortwishingness.
But it is necessary for external penances that they should be helpful to internal penances. Internal penances are also of six types-(1) expiation (2) humility or politeness (3) servitude (4) study (5) meditation (6) abandoning affection or myness to body etc.
Jain Education International
Cleansing of faults by expiation, humility by politeness or modesty, service by servitude, obtaining knowledge by study, concentration of mind by meditation, renunciation of myness by vyutsarga, the soul attains. These are the special benefits of internal penances and the greatest benefit is attainment of salvation.
Whole this subject matter is analysed in detail.
This chapter contains 37 couplets.
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