Aspects of Jaina Religion

Author(s): Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 87

Ethics of Jainism :: 83
called the parisahas, i.e., sufferings. There are twenty-two parisahas which monks are expected to face unflinchingly. They are: ksudhā (hunger), pipāsā (thirst), śīta (cold), usna (heat), damśamasaka (insect-bite), nāgnya (nakedness), arati (absence of pleasures or disagreeable surroundings), stri (sex-passion), charyā (feeling tired from walking too much), nişadyā (discomfort of continuous sitting in one posture), sayyā (discomfort in sleeping or resting on hard earth) ākrosa (censure of scold), vadha (injury), yāchanā (begging), alābha (failure to get food), roga (disease), trna-sparsa (thorn-pricks or pricks of blades of grass), mala (body dirt and impurities), satkāra-puraskāra (disrespect shown by men) prajña (nonappreciation of learning), ajñāna (persistence of ignorance) and adarśana (lack of faith or slack belief), for example, on failure to obtain super-natural powers even after great piety and austerities, to begin to doubt the truth of Jainism and its teachings.
These parisahas should be ever endured, without any feeling of vexation by the ascetics who desire to conquer all causes of pain.
(F) The Chāritra
The ascetics are also expected to strive to observe five kinds of conduct: sâmāyika (equanimity), chhedopasthāpanā (recovery of equanimity after a fall from it), Parihāra-visuddhi (pure and absolute non-injury). sūksma-sāmparāya (all but entire freedom from passion) and yathākhyāta (ideal and passionless conduct).
These five kinds of conduct help to maintain the spiritual discipline of the ascetics. (3) Rules for Nirjarā
Along with samvara (the stoppage of the influx of the karmic matter into the soul) the ascetics have to strive to effect nirjarā (the gradual removal of karmic matter from the soul), if they have to proceed further on their path of salvation.