Introduction to Jaina Sadhna

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 65

58: An Introduction to Jaina Sadhana
(g) Twelve Austerities
The monks and the nuns should observe the following twelve austerities :
(i) Fasting, (ii) Eating less than one's normal diet, (iii) Accepting food from a house-holder only when certain condition is fulfilled, (iv) Giving up the eating of tasty things, such as, ghee, oil, salt and sugar, ( v ) Living in the lonely places, (vi) Mortification of the body, (vii) Taking atonements for the violation of the rules of conduct, ( viii) Paying reverence to the elderly saints and the perceptors, (ix) Rendering one's service to the elderly, diseased and old monks, (x) Renunciation of external and internal possessions, ( xi) Study of the scripture and ( xii ) Meditation. (h) Twenty-two hardships
The path of salvation is not an easy one. A monk is expected to overcome the hardships coming in the way of his Sādhanā. These hardships are twenty-two in number :
(i) Hunger, (ii) Thirst, (iii) Cold, (iv) Heat, (v) Insectbite, (vi) Nakedness, ( vii) Discontentment, (viii) Woman, (ix) Fatigue from walking, (x) Disturbance by animals, (xi) Sleeping or sitting on hard earth, (xii) Abuse, (xiii) Beating, (xiv) Begging, (xv) Failure to get alms etc., ( xvi ) Disease, ( xvii) Contact of thorny shrubs etc., (xviii) Discomfort from dirt, (xix) Respectful or disrespectful treatment, (xx) Pride of knowledge, ( xxi) Lack of knowledge and ( xxii) Failures in religious practices.
Jaina-yoga and other systems of Yoga
As I have already mentioned, in early Jaina āgamas such as Uttarādhyayana etc. and in the works of Ācārya Kundakunda, we find a four-fold path instead of three-fold path, where in right austerity is mentioned separately from right conduct. According to Uttarādhyayana while the right conduct controls