Jain Journal 1988 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 20

JULY, 1988
13
actions. Constant vigilance in behaviour cultivates in him ten cardinal qualities like forgiveness, humility, straightforwardness, contentment, truth, restraint, penance, renunciation, detachment and celibacy. Jaina monk also follows the six āvas yakas, viz. equanimity in mind (sāmāyika), paying respect to the preceptor and superiors (vandanā), self criticism and confession of the moral transgressions before the teacher (pratikramana), determination to avoid sinful activities (pratyākhyāna), and devotion to auspicious meditation (kāyotsarga).
In this respect we should also understand the two types of austerities, viz., external and internal. External austerities consist of fasting, reduced diet, special restrictions for begging food, giving up stimulating and delicious dishes, lonely habitation and mortification of the body. The main object behind the external austerity is to cultivate patient endurance of bodily pain and suffering in order to remove attachment to pleasure and to proclaim the glory of the teaching of the Jinas.
The internal austerities are expiation over negligence of duties, reverence to the holy personages, services to the saints in difficulty, study of the scriptures with giving up idleness, renunciation of ego, i.e., of 'I and Mine', and meditation for checking the ramblings of the mind. These austerities are described in detail in the Jaina scriptures.
We now come to the meditation, the last point of internal austerity. Concentration of thought on one particular object is meditation. The mind must be abstracted from all worldly desires and passions and these causes can be detected through introspection which prepares the mind to overcome them. This attitude of mind having right path of purification is called spirituality. For realization of this spirituality, Jainism has prescribed some spiritual disciplines and practices for meditation which require considerable purification of the self.
The auspicious meditation for attainment of spiritual goal is of two types, viz. virtuous or righteous meditation and pure meditation. After removal of sorrowful concentrations, the Sādhaka in the third stage (dharmadhyāna) contemplates on the objects of revelation, misfortune or calamity, fruitation of karmas and the structure of the universe. According to Digambara tradition dharmadhyāna is possible only in the four gunasthānas from the 4th to 7th. On the other hand, Svetambara tradition is of view that it can be in the six gunasthānas from 7th to 12th. During two types of śukladhyāna an aspirant attains various types of transcendental powers (rddhis). In the third sukladhyāna an