________________
452
S. B. DEO arrows.341 Bhāvadevasūri caused a heavy rain by means of spells.342 Tārapaswāmin is said to have created a magic pillar in water when the boatmen tried to drown him.343 Besides this, the practise of flying into the air was also resorted to. 344 STUDY:
It was said that medicine and food quelled physical trouble only for a short time, but knowledge was a panacea for all worldly troubles.345 Study led to proper meditation (dhyāna), and both these combined, opened the gates to liberation. 346
Against this background, study played an important part in the life of the monk, and most of his time was spent in taking instructions from his guru.
The normal method of study was fivefold. It consisted of reading the text again and again (parivartanā), the reading of the text in a proper way (vācanā), asking questions about the difficulties, if any, (prcchanā), digesting the material (anuprekşaņā) and the liking of religious literature (dharmakathā).347
A text was to be read with full knowledge of the meaning of the words, it was to be read neither hurriedly nor in a lingering manner, uttering it properly, reading it at the proper time with full concentration and with due respect to the guru.348 Not a single doubt was to be harboured in the mind regarding any portion of the text.
This being the case, only those who were intelligent, devoid of passions (kaşāyas), well-versed in penance, free from the practice of transgressions, able to keep up the traditions of the 'Sruta' and who had an auspicious mould of mind, were deemed proper students,349
Study was to be done day and night (aharniśam).350 The normal time in the morning was two 'ghatikās' after sunrise and two 'ghatikās' before sunset 351
NO. 1, P. 34 yas', etc
341. Ibid. 342. Ibid, Vol. 14, No. 1, p. 16. 343. Ibid. Vol. 14, No. 2, p. 34. 344. Angd. 5, 25, refers to 'vidyās', etc.: comm. p. 350. 345. Ibid. 6, 53. 346. Ibid. comm. p. 411. 347. Ibid. 6, 53; comm. p. 524. 348. Ibid. 7, 67 and 83. 349. Ibid. 7, 89. 350. Ibid. 9, 2; also comm. p. 8. 351. Ibid. 9, 3.
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