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Shri Ashtapad Maha Tirth - II
“It (Mayaniryukti) treats of illusion and speaks of maya as magic. Some consider it to be magic and some think it to be true. For the satisfaction of the illusions, the Yogin may enjoy all good things of the world which come to him of their own accord, because he enjoys them as maya." “But a true Yogin should have the Earth for his bed, the quarters for his cloth and alms for his food. He should have forbearance for all phenomena because they are not produced and his benevolence should be perennial” On a perusal of the contents of mayanirukti it seems that there were two types of yogins or ascetics in Bengal at the time of Advayavajra - one type of Yogins or ascetics used to satisfy their sense - pleasures by the enjoyment of all good things of the world that would come to them automatically and the other type of yogins or ascetics used to observe a very strict code of discipline in regard to food, drink, dress, bed etc. It seems that the number of the second class or category of monks sharply dwindled in the Buddhist monasteries when Vajrayana and in its train sahajayana firmly struck roots in the Buddhist Church. As the attainment of the "Bodhicitta" the state of "mahasukha" or surname bliss. Produced by the union of "Prajna” and “Upaya" was accepted by the Vajrayanist and the Sahajayanist Buddhist as the "summum bonnum" of life, strict monastic discipline in regard to food, dress and bed gave way to sexo - yogic esoteric practices in almost all Buddhist monasteries all estabilishments. Consequently within a short time, the number of true Yogins or ascetics who observed strict monastic discipline sharply fell or decreased and in course of time the true Yogins were extinct. So at the time of depicting the portrait of a true Yogin or ascetic, Advayavajra had before his eyes the spectacle of an advanced Digambara - Nirgrantha monk. From the time of the origin of their religion, the Jina Kalpi or advanced Nirgrantha monks had to observe strict and stringent monastic codes for the attainment of liberation from the cycles of birth and rebirth. In Mayaniryukti the criteria set for a true Yogin or ascetic by Advayavajra are found in the following couplet.
"mahi sayya diso vaso bhiksa bhaktam ca bhajanam |
Ajata dharmata ksantih kripana bhagavahini" ||
Does not this sloka bring to the mind's eye of the reader the portrait of an advanced Digambara Nirgrantha ascetic who was enjoined by the scriptures to use the earth for his bed. Quarters for his garment, and alms for his food? As for other two qualities of a true ascetic mention has been made of ksanti or forbearance and Kripa or benevolence kindness. Without the attainment of these two qualities none could be called an ascetic by the Digambara Jainas in ancient India. The Nirgrantha ascetics since the inception of their religious organization had to bear all sorts of natural and man- perpetrated cruelties upon them with equanimity and forgiveness. The Acharangsutra one of the oldest scriptures of the Jainas, vividly describes how Mahavir was
4. S. B. Dasgupta, Obscure Religious Cults, p. 31 ff. Influence of Jainism on Tibetan Literature
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