ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 107

va yakas (6): Six essential duties - Equanimity, obeisance to and Eulogy of omniscient, study of scripture, repentance with confession for transgression in observing rites, chanting Namok ra-Mantra by giving up attachment to body.
Other compulsory activities (7): Sleeping on ground on one hand side, not cleaning the teeth, not-bathing, taking meal standing in hallowed palms, taking meal only once in day hours, living naked- unclothed and pulling put hairs of head, chin & moustache. These are for Digambara monks. For vet mbara monks, there are some deviations in dress, food habits etc. Thus are the 28 rituals (Mulag as.) of a Digambara Jaina monk.
In Mokşa M rga Prak aka Todarmal Ji has written the characteristics of a Jaina monk as under:
6.1 Characteristics of S dhus: - (Ascetic/ monk)
'Excepting the preceding above mentioned two types of rank- holders' monks i.e. c rya and up dhy ya, the rest are all those monks who holds monk's rank and are engrossed in attaining the nature of the soul. They do not let their 'upayoga' (attention) engrossed in other substances by treating them neither agreeable nor disagreeable. Thus they try to tranquillize the 'upayoga' and externally observe religious penances, rituals etc. as being instrumental causes. Sometimes they engage themselves in the acts of invocation, obeisance and such other activities worthy of him. Such are the true Jaina monks who incessantly make efforts for the realization of the self /soul; I bow to all such ascetic monks.
6.2 General Characteristics of Jaina Monks:
He (the true believer), who after becoming dispassionate and indifferent to worldly pleasures, relinquished all kinds of possessions and attachments and accepted' uddhopayoga' i.e. his own self to be the self soul only. He never feels I-ness in other objects and believes that sentiency is only one's own. He never feels mine-ness in alien dispositions and whatever other substances and their characteristics appear in knowledge; does not have attachment-aversion feelings in them by treating them as agreeable or disagreeable; understands that the body undergoes different changes, various instrumental causes get associated eternally; but in those situations he does not feel happy or unhappy at all. External (bodily) activity suitable to his spiritual status takes place in natural course, he does not involve himself in it forcibly and he does not allow his "upayoga" (attention) to deviate or ramble too much. He rather holds deviation-less (stable) condition by becoming stoical and dispassionate. And occasionally, due to rise of mild passion," uddhopayoga" gets disturbed; but knowing such inclination also to be relinquish-able wishes to uproot it.
Due to the absence of the rise of intense passions there exists no 'a ubhopayoga' (inauspicious thought activity) of indulging in violence etc. Having attained such an internal-state of self; he has accepted the Digambara posture (totally possession less naked state) of serenity, has become free from the acts of decorating the body etc. lives in forest, caves etc.; follows without any fault "28 basic virtues (Mulag as) endures 22 types of Pariṣahas (afflictions), adores 12 kinds of 'Tapas' (penances), sometimes becomes motionless like an idol by holding the meditation-posture; sometimes engages himself in external pious activities such as study of scriptures etc.; sometimes attentively engages one self in taking food and making movement etc. which are in accordance to Muni-Dharma (monk's religion).
Such is the state of a Jain monk and this applies to all Jaina monks - c ryas, up dhy yas & S dhus. I bow to all of them.
7.0 The importance of 'Namok ra-Ma tra'.
The following four lines have almost become an integral part of the ma tra. They describe the benefits to be accrued by reciting this mantra.
Eso Pa ca namokk ro, savve p papapn sa o.
Ma gal a a ance savvesin padhama havai ma galam.
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0