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ETHICS FOR ASCETIOS
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we move towards liberation. Yogindudeva has most effectively illustrated how submission to one sense or the other leads to destruction. A beautiful butterfly which is attracted by the beauty of a light from a lamp embraces and dies. A stag which is attracted by sound caused by a hunter falls a prey to his arrow and dies. An elephant which desires to have cold touch falls into a pond and is relegated to slavery. A bee which is attracted by smell of a lotus is caught into it and dies when the lotus closes at sunset. A fish which is drawn towards the delicious bait thrown by a fisherman tries to snatch it and is caught. Thus the different senses, if not controlled by self-restraint, would toll the death knell without any hope of liberation. That is why an ascetic ought to exercise the fullest control over his senses. An ascetic ought to refuse to be seduced by his senses since he knows that none of his senses leads to the liberation of his soul. Neither beauty, nor musical sounds, nor fragrance nor sweetness as felt by his ears, nose or tongue, nor the softness of touch which are all pudgala should be allowed to dominate his practice of austerities.
The six āvaśyakas or the essential duties, which have a bearing on the advancement of the spiritual well--being of the soul, ought to be perforined everyday without fail. They constantly remind the ascetic of his goal in life and purify the inner self Kundakunda Ācārya has enumerated them as follows in his “Niyamasāra" : pratikramaņa, pratyākhyāna, alocanā, kāyotsarga sāmāyika and paramabhakti.
1) Pratikramana is repentance. Self-analysis or introspection is essential for equanimity of mind and for right conduct. That man observes Pratikramana, who in silence after abstaining from the activities of speech and getting rid of his impure thoughtactivities such as anger, attachments etc, meditates upon the nature of his own soul. This helps him to avoid repetition of impure thought-activities an I transgressions of rules of conduct. He would avoid all wrong paths and walk into the paths shown by the Conquerors. He learns how to control himself in body,
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