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SONG OF SPIRITUAL ELEVATION (continued)
sentiments of any one. 3) Eshana Samiti: Food, clothes and other essential needs of life should be procured in a way that involves minimum possible violence. 4) Ädän Bhandamatta Nikkhevanä Samiti: Ädän refers to taking some thing, Bhandamatta to pots and other articles, Nikkhevanä to placing. As such, this Samiti lays down careful vigilance in taking placing or moving any thing so that the insects lying on such article or at that place are not hurt or disturbed. 5) Parishthäpanika Samiti: This pertains to careful disposal of urine, stool, garbage etc. One should be careful not to hurt any being while disposing them off)
6) Without craving or aversion for five sense objects and avoiding the mental distraction arising from the fivefold indolence, we may move about as ordained, but lust free and without any impact of substance, space, time or mode.
When? (Spiritual pursuit involves control over the five senses of sound, sight, smell, taste and touch. When a sense organ comes in contact with any object of that sense, it comes to know about the nature of that object. What normally happens, however, is that instead of remaining simply aware of that, the mind reacts to it with craving or aversion. If it likes the object, it craves to remain in its contact and if it does not like the object, it tries to avert the same. Such craving or aversion is the root cause of Karma and leads to distraction of mind which is known as Pramäd or indolence.
Depending upon the source, Pramäd is of five types that arise from 1) attachment to sense objects, 2) indulgence in defilement, 3) sleep, 4) attachment to some one and 5) gossiping. This stanza calls for avoiding all types of indolence and to accept the situations that occur from time to time without indulging in craving or aversion for any of them. That would be helpful in maintaining the Selforientation.)
7) There may prevail provocative disposition towards anger, humility towards arrogance, unconcern towards concernment and non-covetousness towards greediness. When?
(The 5th and 6th stages of elevation are mainly meant for overcoming the defilement. Krodh (Anger), Män (Arrogance), Mäyä (This term is used here in the sense being concerned.) and Lobh (Greediness) are the four types of defilement, which are hard to be overcome. Shrimad indicates a simple way to overcome them. He states that if you cannot stay without being provoked, show your provocation towards the anger; if you want to be proud, be proud of gentleness; if you need to be concerned, be concerned for remaining unconcerned and if you have to be greedy, be greedy of covetousness, which means don't be covetous.]
8) There may prevail no wrath even towards those who inflict acute pain, no vanity even if an emperor bows down, no trace of concern even in case of loss of life and no coveting even in case of the highly treasured achievements.
When? (This stanza presents the state of aspirant who is moving from 6th to 7th stage. It Lays down how such an aspirant stays even in situations which are highly prone to arouse defilement. The circumstances may arise in which one may have to bear the intense pain; but he would not indulge in wrath or animosity towards the person inflicting that pain. By virtue of his spiritual development, even an emperor may be induced to bow to him; but the aspirant would not thereby feel elated and harbor vanity or arrogance. Circumstances may also arise, which would cause the loss of life; but the aspirant would not be concerned about it and would give up the body. The spiritual pursuit may lead to the immense accomplishments; but the aspirant would not be tempted to use that for his own ends or for other worldly purposes.)
9) Resorting to well known aspects of nudity, shaven head, non-bathing, non-brushing etc. and avoiding the hair dye, manicure and other make up, there may prevail the unattached state along with external and internal restraints.
When? (This stanza describes the disinclination of the spiritual aspirant towards the body. In order to avert attachment for that, he would better stay unclad and shaven headed. For the same purpose, it is laid down to avoid bath, tooth-brushing hair dye, manicure and other make up so as to enable him to observe external as well as internal restraints. Refraining from such activities amounts to the external restraint; while control over craving and aversion constitutes the internal restraint.
Here arises a point for consideration. Hairstyle, hair dye, manicure etc. are resorted to for making the body attractive and a spiritual aspirant needs to avoid the same. Bath and tooth-brushing are, however, undertaken for cleanliness, not for beautification. The body is prone to get unclean and the mouth to be sticky. It is therefore necessary to clean them. When it is acceptable to clean the pertinent parts of the body after toilet etc. it is hard to understand why bath and brushing need to be forbidden. Water is required for that, but it can be restricted to minimal level so as to avert unnecessary violence.)
16/JAIN DIGEST SUMMER 2000 Jain Education Interational 2010_02
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