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Immobility austerity types also are generally sub-divided into three: (1) taking certain postures to the exclusion of others; (2) restriction motion to a certain limited area; and (2) refraining from all bodily motion altogether.
All Jaina austerities are aimed only towards purification and liberation, and are mainly concerned with karma. On a lower level, austerities make for the accumulation of merit (punya) which brings about good results. Some good results, such as material gain, can be counterproductive on the path to liberation by being a distraction to the goal. They can, however, be useful. Consider the good result of having resources and using them to support religious organizations. A commentary to Ācārya Amitagati's Yogasāra-prābhrta states that such actions "may bring some good (śubha) but not spiritual purity (śuddhi)" 10 Merit is helpful, but ultimately still obstructs liberation. On a higher level, austerities are for the purpose of stopping the influx of all karma (samvara), positive and negative, and for destroying karma already bonded (nirjarā).
Most literature concerning Jaina voluntary death practices focus mainly on fasting, but it is important to keep in mind that the austerity of limiting mobility also features prominently. Since both fasting and mobility-restricting austerities could fall under the category of kāyakleśa, which "literally means to give turmoil to the body11," and kāyakleśa is one of "the twelve types of elimination of karma (nirjarā) 12 ", both austerity-types destroy karma. Not only this, but they also both prevent the influx of new karma. This is so because both are of the fifth "of the five types of saṁvara [that of] Ayoga - stopping all the mental vocal, mental and bodily activities. 13"
This overlap in the functions of fasting and immobility austerities carries over to their practice as well. The distinctions between the main fast types in Jaina death practice are not based on the fasting itself, but rather with regard to mobility and assistance to oneself (by oneself or others). The three fast-types are: (1) bhatta-paccakkhāna, in which one renounces food and drink, and can receive help from oneself or others; (2) ītvara or ingini-maraņa, in which one renounces food and drink and limits physical movement, and can receive help from
10 Jain, Jyoti Prasad, Religion and Culture of the Jains, 2003: p. 178 11 Shastri, Devendra Muni, A Source Book in Jaina Philosophy, 1983: p.209. 12 Ibid:p.204 13 Ibid. p. 196.
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