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Jaina Acara: Siddhanta aura Svarupa
191
In the canonical literature seventeen kinds of self-discipline have been mentioned as follows:
(1) Earth (2) Water (3) Fire (4) Air (5) Vegetation (6) Two- sensed (7) Three-sensed (8) Four-sensed (9) Five-sensed. Not to injure them, not to get them hurt nor to support it all (10) Lifeless, i.e. not to accept cloth, utensils etc. which might give occasion for self-indulgence (11) Prek'sä, i.e. not to support the sins committed by the laity (13) Aparhitya, i.e. to place things systematically to avoid injury of any kind (14) Pramarjana - to clean utensils, cloth etc. carefully (15) Manah i.e. control of the mind (16) Vacanā, i.e. control of speech (17) Kaya, i.e. to walk carefully.
From another standpoint they are (1-5) control over the influx of violence, untruth, stealth, unchastity and attachment or possessions (6-9) Control over wrath, anger, impure things and greed (10-14) Control over sense-organs and their objects, viz., ears, nose, tongue and skin and (15-17) right use of mind, body and speech.
Sthananga has given four kinds : control of mind, speech, body and equipment. Elsewhere it talks of control over senses and renunciation of injuring six types of living beings. The gods are incapable of self-discipline. They do not even think of carnal pleasure till thirty-three 'Sagaropamas'. Bhagvati says that they do not have any desire to eat for thirty-three thousand years. Theirs is wholly white tint. Only an ascetic can observe five great vows, not others including gods.
Self-restraint is more internal than external. The internal one cannot be had without right attitude. Obscuration of the right vision leading to endless worldly existences, what arrests only the aptitude for partial or complete renunciation must not stand in the way. The real joy and bliss is in subduing passions and not being subjected to them. Senses only entangle the human soul. The sense-organs are not to be destroyed, since in the absence of the body no penances are possible. He who is a slave to tastes will eat everything, even those not worth being consumed, because he relishes them. He takes also betel-leaves and nuts. They give momentary titillation. Lasting joy is in treating body as separate from Self. Sam+Yama means control of the senses with discrimination.
Hemacandra says that influs of karmic matter takes you to the dark lanes from which the exit is possible only through self-discipline and stopping the influx.
"Tapa' has already been dealt with in detail. If somebody takes the vow of eating only once in the day but actually eats double the usual quantity in two times is deceiving himself. If he eats sweets only once, it is no giving up of stimulating or delicious food.
(8) Tyaga - Aklanka says that it is renunciation of the possession of beings and things with or without life. Attachment is ultimately painful but
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