Basic Jain Culture Non Possession

Author(s): Padamchand Shastri, N L Jain
Publisher: Veer Seva Mandir Trust

Page 43

his 'Tattvarth Sutra' that the karmic stoppage occurs due to observance of (i) three guards (guptis of mind, speech and body), (ii) five carefulnesses (Samitis or care in walking, talking, foods, picking and placing and secretions and excretions), (iii) ten religious duties (like forgiveness etc.), (iv) twelve introspecting reflections (like momentariness, refugelessness etc.), (v) victory over 22 afflictions (like hunger, thirst etc.) and (vi) good moral vows of many kinds. Further, he adds that though the austerities form a variety of conduct and cause of karmic stoppage, but they also lead to karmic shedding. All these 64 activities involve withdrawal rather than involvement. All involve renunciation of alien-i.e. possession and absorption in self. It has been stated 23 that. (1) The Guard (Gupti) is defined as an instrument which gets the
self away from the causes of worldly cycle. It has three varieties. (1) Guard of mind : is that which makes the mind away from
volitions of attachment etc. (ii) Guard of speech: is getting away from falsity etc. Alternatively,
the silence is the guard of speech. (iii) Guard of body: is getting away from bodily actions or relaxation
or bodily detachment. (2) Carefulness (Samiti) is the assemblage of supreme attributes
like natural enlightenment which is the innate quality of self in which it is engaged. 'Pravacanasara' (Essence of Sermons) commentary states that the self, transformed in its own nature by observing right movement is carefulness. It is further stated that carefulness may also be defined as absorption in self through renunciation of defiled modes like attachment etc. It is its spiritual form. However, externally it is five-fold as in point (ii) above