Aspects of Jaina Monasticism

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 93

(ii) Satta (Skt. sattva)119: The second item is the conquest of fear and sleep. For the conquest of fear, the aspirant should practise kayotsarga 'detachment from body and concentration on self' at various places including the cemetery. He should remain vigilant and avoid sleep, thus mostly keeping himself at the stage of the seventh guṇasthāna, called apramatta 'freedom from wakelessness'.
(iii) Suya (Skt. śruta) 120: He should practise the recitation of the scripture with uniform speed and carefulness so that even in the absence of any device for measureing time, he is in a position to measure time by means of the length of the scriptures recited. The implication is that not a single moment should pass unnoticed, and there should be no lapse of vigilance. His familiarity with the contents of the scripture should be deep and penetrating so that the distinction between the self and the faculty of knowledge is obliterated.
It
(iv) Egatta (Skt. ekatva): means complete spirit of renunciation and withdrawl into solitude, isolating oneself from all external relationships, including those with the preceptors and close colleagues.121
(v) Bala (or endurance of upasarga) It stands for the unlimited tolerance of hardships, dissociating oneself completely from all worldly ties, with extraordinary power of forbearance.122 Such hardship may be physical as well as mental. The aspirant starts with
a
strong
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physique which gradually, on account of the penances like fasting, is attenuated and becomes weak; but this weakness is compensated by the augmentation of the power of dhrti 'forbearance, tenacity'. In other words, the yogin's mental forbearance varies inversely with the decrease of his physical strength.
This self-assessment (tulana) has two other counterpats, viz., bhāvanā and parikarma.123
III. Bhāvanā (Self-contemplation)
Bhāvanā124 is the practice of self-contemplation leading to the conquest of the senses and passions, and rectification of conduct and activities of mind, speech, and body.125 Bhāvanā, in essence, is the cultivation of the spiritual values for the elimination of the passions.
IV. Parikarma (Purification)
The consummation of self-estimation (tulana) and self-contemplation (bhāvanā) is parikarma, i.e., purification. Parikarma has two concerned aspects: Firstly, it is with the purification of the soul through the conquest of the senses, passions and the rectification of one's conduct, mental and physical. Secondly, at a higher stage of penance, which may be immediately followed by the adoption of the Victor's Course, it is concerned with the reduction of the quantity of outfit and paraphernalia, and suspension of aliment as far as possible through a stricter observance of the rules of begging food, and im