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pangs of death. 4) He should not remember his relatives and friends at the time of death. 5) He should not wish for a particular kind of fruit as a result of his penance.4
According to Umāsvāmi, the vow of' sallekhanã should be adopted most willingly or voluntarily when death is very near. 5 A person adopting the vow can obtain his peace of mind by making a frank confession of his sins, either committed or a betted; when it is not possible to approach an Ācārya or Guru, one should sit calmly, meditate upon the pañca-parameşthis and recall to one's mind all types of sins and transgressions either committed by oneself or abetted by oneself. He should shut out all his evil thoughts. If he is suffering from deadly or serious disease, he should endure all the pangs with equanimity and tranquility without exhibiting any signs of suffering, with an inborn conviction that the disease itself is the result of his own Karmas. He should eliminate all his passions and mental weaknesses. The mind should be filled with the ambrosial knowledge of scriptures that gives him joy and strength.6
· The body has to be protected so long as it is useful for attainment of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct. The body is mortal; if it dies, you can have another body; but if you sacrifice your religion for the sake of your body, you cannot regain the sanctity of your religion which helps you in your spiritual realisation. When life is coming to an end by a natural cause or by some calamity like a disease, or attack from an enemy, it is proper to adopt the vow of death by fasting and meditation in fulfilment of the religious vows and practices.?
It is common knowledge that amongst the Jainas, the monks, nuns, house-holders and the house-ladies ere accustomed to fasting during the course of their normal life. Hermann Jacobi says: “Among the austerities, fasting is the most conspicuous; the Jainas have developed it to a kind of art and reached a remarkable proficiency in it". 8 During the period of fast, one ought to acquire complete detachment and peace of mind not only
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