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COMPENDIUM OF JAINISM
rungs of a ladder; a layman desirous of progress must mount the lad der step by step until he reaches the top, that is, the highest stage of spirituality as a layman.
1) Darśana-pratima
The house-holder must possess the right attitude and be free from all misconceptions. He must be free from all the transgressions of samyaktva and be free from attachment to worldly pleasures of every kind. He must be a devoted worshipper of the Pañca-paramestis and possess unflinching conviction in the tenets preached by the Jinas. Such a house-holder is Darśanapratimādhāri.
2)
Vrata-pratimā
The house-holder observes the twelve vows, that is, the five aņuvratas, the three guņa-Vratas and the four sikşā - vratas. There should be no transgressions of any of them. The practice of these vows should be free from the three Salyas (defects): Māyā (delusion), Mithyā (perversity) and Nidāna (desire for worldly benefits). He who observes the vows in this manner will be called a Vrati.
3) Sāmāyika-pratimā
The layman turns round in four directions and performs salutations. He is not attached to the body and deos not aspire for worldly prosperity. He meditates by adopting any of the two postures and maintains the purity of his activities.
This is a stage in which the aspirant practises Sãmâyika in the manner prescribed by the Scriptures. It consists of intro. spection and meditation for self-purification. Samantabhadra, however, adds that the practice should commence with prayer and salutation to the Jinas and be observed thrice everyday. The Svetāmbaras hold that the practice is restricted to meditation for the purpose of purification of the soul leading to spiritual progress
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