Dasaveyaliya Suttam

Author(s): K V Abhyankar
Publisher: K V Abhyankar

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DASAVEĀLIYA SUTTA
through others, or by consenting to others doing it. It is the clear knowledge of the wide-spread existence of life principle in nature that is to be obtained first and then only compassion can be shown rightly to these living organisms. On the knowledge of life and non-life there is based the chain of successive higher steps of Spiritual Progress made up of—(1) the knowledge of the various resulting future conditions, (2) the knowledge of freedom and bondage, (3) disgust with worldly life, (4) abandonment of enjoyment, (5) houselessness, (6) self-restraint, (7) shaking off the Karma dirt, (8) right knowledge and faith, (9) knowledge of worlds and void, (10) motionless condition of the body, (11) the annihilation of Karma, and lastly, (12) the perfected condition at the top of the world.
6. The fifth chapter lays down rules and regulations regarding the movement of monks when they stir out for alms; it cites the conditions under which the alms becomes acceptable or otherwise, and gives an exhaustive list of the articles that are forbidden. It also describes how and when the monk should dine. The underlying principle in all these cases of movement for alms, begging of alms, its acceptance and its eating, is to avoid the remotest possibility of any injury or violence to living organisms.
7. The sixth chapter, in a way, forms a faithful and substantial summary of the preceding five chapters describing " the terrible and difficult course of actions of the monks". The monk is asked to take a strict care of eighteen points which include the six vows, the six groups, of living organisms, and the six actions which are highly improper for a monk. . 8. The seventh chapter refers to the monk's mental condition and his talk. As the talk is the index of the mind, absolute harmlessness in talk would require an