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VI. MYSTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF JAINA ETHICS
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on having mystical life, in guiding them in their moral and Spiritual conduct, in correcting their errors, and in re-establishing them on the spiritual path. He is responsible for the governance and regulation of the order of monks. It is obligatory for the Acārya to have a thorough knowledge of the Săstras and of contemporary religion. Besides, he should be unshakable like the Meru mountain, enduring like the earth, destitute of seven kinds of fear and pure like the ocean which has purged the filth out of itself. The Bhagavatī Ārādhanā very beautifully portrays the characteristics of the Acārya and proclaims them to be eight in number namely, 1) ācāravān, i.e., one who observes five types of Ācāra and persuades one's disciples to pursue them', 2) ādhāravān, i.e., one who has profound learning and discipline in order to be the back-bone for the advancement of the disciple; 3) vyavahāravān, i.e., one who is expert in the theory and technique of spiritual punishment, 4) prakartā or prakūrvi, i.e., one who helps the disciple physically in his physical troubles without being frustrated in spite of undertaking great pains, 5) āyopāyadarsaka, i.e., one who impresses upon the mind of one's disciple the value of discovering his defects when he hides them on account of fear, shame, and pride, 10 6) Avapīdaka, i.e., one who exhorts penetratingly, but politely in seclusion, when the disciple owing to vanity, fear, reluctance to be punished etc. hides his faults.11 Here the treatment of the Guru (Acārya) may be compared to the mother who feeds the child even if it weeps;12 i.e., the Guru obliges the disciple to unveil his defects for his benefit;137) Aparisrāvi, i.e., one who does not communicate the defects of one's disciple to anybody, just as the hot iron ball does not let the water go out after once soaking it;14 8) Niryāpaka, i.e., one who guards the ship of one's disciple from being sunk in the ocean of Samsāra at the time when the storm of disease, cold, thirst, hunger etc., is at its highest to ruin the ship.15
1 Sat. Vol. I. p. 49. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid.; We have already dealt with these fears above. 51) Jnānācāra (Pursuance of five types of scriptural study). 2) Darsanācāra (Belief
in Tattvas); 3) Căritrācāra (Avoidance of five types of Sins, namely, Hiṁsā, stealing etc.); 4) Tapācāra (Performance of external & internal austerities); 5) Viryācāra (Performance of austerities without concealing one's own strength). (Bhaga Arā.
Comm. Vija. and Mulārā-419). 6 Bhaga. Ara. 419. 7 Ibid. 428, 441 to 443. 8 Ibid. 448. ' Ibid. 455 to 457. 10 Ibid. 461, 462. 11 Ibid. 474, 475. 12 Ibid. 479. 13 Ibid. 480. 14 Ibid. 486. 15 Ibid. 503, 504.
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