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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
Twelfth Vow: HONOURING THE GUESTS
This vow prescribes offering of food, clothes, utensils to the guests and to the monks to one's best of the capacity. Right faith was earned by Merchant Dhana and Nayasara by offering alms sincerely and they achieved the incarnation of a prophet after few births. Sangama also was born as Shālibhadra in the next existence to attain miraculous powers and abundant prosperity.
DAILY CONDUCT OF A JAIN HOUSEHOLDER
The scriptures have described ideal conduct of a Jain- householder observing partial non-attachment in a stanza beginning with the words 'Navakarena-viboho' etc.
A Jain house holder has to get up four watches before the sun-rise with utterance of prostrations to five great Gods. Then he should reflect upon religion. For purification of right knowledge, right intuition and right conduct he should observe atonement "retrogression from sins", as one of the six essential ceremonies. Thereafter, he should offer his prostrations to the holy shrine of the lord and should take up the vows (Pachkkhāna).
Thereafter, he should visit the temple and worship the idols with flower, garlands and sandal wood paste etc. From the temple he should approach the preceptor. Having offered the prostrations to him he should take up the vows. He should listen to religious preachings from him and inquire about his health etc. He should request to offer food, water etc. He should also make provisions for medicines if required by the preceptor. He should then accept his food.
Then he should carry out profession irreproachable in this world or in the next world. In the evening he should take his dinner (before sunset) and should control his passions after observing 'retrogression' (Pratyākhyān) at the end of the day. He should worship the idols, observe spiritual-sittings etc.
He should imitate monkish order of life by practising spiritual studies, self-restraint, and service of the monks. He should reflect on the sacred Naukara-Mantra. He should return home and should explain the nature of religion to his family members with the help of moral narratives and words of wisdom to render them religious
