________________
258
COMPENDIUM OF JAINISM
indifferent to the world and its allurements. ... His eye is on liberation; so he constantly struggles to maintain a pure attitude of mind, and cultivates faith, knowledge and discipline. His preachings and his other activities are all directed towards spiritual advancement. Being a Nirgrantha, he practises no profession. The rigorous type of Nirgrantha asceticism is not prescribed for women because of their natural disabilities. They can enter the order but their observances are moderate and less rigorous.3
The five Vratas namely, ahimsā, satya, asteya, brahmacarya and a parigraha which a house-holder observes in a small way are required to be observed with the fullest of their implications without permitting any of the transgressions noticed earlier while discussing the Panca-aņuvratas. It is not enough if an ascetic abstains from physical injury to any mobile or immobile living creatures; he must observe the vow in mind, speech and action (conduct) so that he exhibits the highest degree of caution and care in his movements, thoughts, food and drinks. The vow of truthfulness requires him to be free from anger, greed, fear and delusion so that anything he utters is free from the taint of impurity of any kind. The vow of Asteya or non-stealing has to be observed not only by refraining from acceptance of what is not given but also by observing the self-imposed limitations in the matter of begging for food, acceptance of food and drink of great purity in quantities lesser than he needs and in the choice of his abode which ought to be in any forest or secluded place. The vow of celibacy does not stop with abstinence from sexual intercourse. He must not entertain any thought of sex or passion. He should not take any food which is likely to incite his passion; he should not think of any woman nor give any cause by talk or gesture so as to excite passion in himself or in the woman. He should not try to relive his past sexual contacts. Aparigraha or non-attachment does not only mean non-attachment to external objects and property but includes non-attachment to the body or its requirements. He must annihilate his desires and should attach no greater importance to the body than to regard it as an instrument for practice of Dharma and realisation of the three
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
