Gommatasara Karma Kanda

Author(s): Nemichandra Siddhant Chakravarti, J L Jaini
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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11. Pratimas. 1. Darshana (faith).- A true Jaina must have a perfect and intelligent, well-reasoned faith in Jainism, 2. e., he must have a sound knowledge of its doctrines and their applications in life.
2. Vrata (vow)-He must observe the five minor vows (anuVratas), the three guna-vratas, and four shiksha-vratas. To give details: he must not destroy any kind of life, must not tell a lie, must not make use of another person's property without the owner's consent, must be chaste, must limit his necessities of life, and avoid the use of food which involves unnecessary killing of living beings. The three guna-vratas are special vows relating to the limitation and determination of his daily work, food, and enjoyment. The remaining four vows relate to his meditation in the morning, noon, and evening, co his keeping fast on certain days, and to his duty of daily giving charity in the form of knowledge, medicine, comfort, and food.
3. Sámáyika (worship). He must worship regularly in general for forty-eight minutes, three times daily. Worship means selfcontemplation and purifying one's ideas and emotions.
4. Proshadhopavása (fortnightly must fast). He fasts regularly, as a rule, twice a fortnight each lunar month,
5. Sachitta-tyága (abstinence from the flesh of conscious creatures). He refrains from taking fresh vegetables, because they are living.
6. Rátri-bhukta-tyága (abstinence from eating at night). He must not take food at night. There are minute living beings which no amount of light can reveal or disperse, and which must be consumed with meals after sunset.
7. Brahma charya-Celibacy.
8. Árambha-tyága.--Abandonment of merely worldly engagements and occupations.
9-11. The remaining three stages are preparatory to the monk's life. Their names are parigraha-tyága, ani nati-tyága, and ud.
yága, and they enjoin a gradual giving up of the world and retiring into some very quiet place to acquire the knowledge of truth and ultimately to become fit to be a teacher of the path to Liberation.
Vows The vows (vratas) are five, i. e., to be free from
Injury (Himsa), Falsehood (Anrita),