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COMPENDIUM OF JAINISM
distance of four hands as long as he walks. While paying attention to his walk, he should avoid anger, pride, deceit, greed, laughter, fear, loquacity and slander. He should use blameless and concise speech. When he hoes out for his food, he should avoid faults in the search and receiving of his food, articles of use and lodging. Faults with regard to the food refer to it having been prepared solely for the monk, containing impurities or prepared for festivity, use of lamp in fetching food, etc.5 In the selection of a place for his excrements, urine etc., he must choose a place which is neither frequented nor seen by people, which offers no obstacles to his self-control, which is not covered with grass or leaves and which is an inanimate spacious layer, free from insects and seeds. It would thus be evident that the samitis are an exercise in carefulness and regulation of every kind of movement so as to avoid every kind of injury to other beings.
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Gupti is defined as control curbing well every kind of activity (samyag yoganigraho guptiḥ).6 The Guptis are three: Mano-gupti, vāg-gupti and kaya-gupti. The first relates to the control of the mind by preventing it from wandering into the forest of sensual pleasures. A monk ought to restrain his mind and should never entertain thoughts that would bring misfortune to other beings or cause ruination of other people. The second requires him to control his speech from lying or telling mixed falsehood. He should not use abusive language or language that is likely to be harmful to others. He should observe silence and should not say anything ill about others. In the use of his body, he ought to be careful while standing, moving or lying down so that he does not cause misery to or destruction of any creature. There should be no room for evil actions, thoughts or bodily activity all the activities of a monk ought to be for the good of himself and of others.
We next come the control of the five senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. There is a constant confiict between the dictates of the soul and of the senses. If we yield to the latter, they bring about transmigration while if we yield to the former,
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