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Jaina Acara: Siddhanta aura Svarupa
them had a mission to fulfil. Their perfect health, both physical and mental, affects even rigid antagonists. The places they visit have neither excess of rain nor deficit of it. Their very presence cures diseased persons and instil spirituality in them. Lord Mahāvīra, in reply to a query, said that Sāmāyika caters for the purification of vision and general attitude. The more the faith in them, the greater will be their spiritual welfare. They encourage you to rise higher still day by day so as to become very much like them, if not exactly them.
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The next is obeisance. You are to bow your head to those possessed of good qualities, not to such as are lewd, passionate and lecherous. To salute the latter is to boost evils. In Lord Mahavira's time there was a cult whose followers bowed their heads to one and all, even to birds and beasts. This was regarded erroneous. Rogues and scoundrels who make good people salute them are diseased, degraded and seriously handicapped. The adorable teacher is one who is not only pure but whose purity must be reflected in his life and behaviour. Without a pure heart all sweet talk is mere ostentation. The two should go together. Mere scholarship, even the profoundest knowledge is of little significance if the person in question be not sincere and simple hearted. Neither theory nor practice singly is of much value.
He who bends his head in adoration can have no pride or ego. If you do it because of fear, temptation or status in society, it shall bind you to the world and consequent Karma. Bowing down should be spontaneous, but this spontaneity must not be mechanical. It should emanate from the heart. Only then the soul will attain its pristine purity. If you think one thing and do the reverse and your speech be foul, it denotes a crafty soul.
Once Aristanemi reached Dvaraka. Krsna saluted him. His usual practice had been to bow down his head to him as also to other distinguished saints. That day it occurred to him that he should salute all monks irrespective of their rank. This he did devoutly. Virakaulika did the same. The god Aristanemi was asked as to who of the two profited more than the other. The god replied that Virakaulika did it all merely to please Krsna and not because of devotion to saints. The adorable saints are five-Acarya, Upadhayāya, Pravartaka (administrator), Sthavira (aged scholar) and Ratnadhika (especially talented).
Pratikramana (Repentance)
It means retreat, or return from sin to virtue. When you transgress moral limits you either dive deep into the mire of sin or retrace your steps to morality. This you will do only when you sincerely repent for your sins. Mere confession without repentance is meaningless. The sins you have committed, get them committed or with your tacit consent deserve censure not by others but by yourself. You must hate the sin, otherwise you will go on committing sins with impunity and by smothering your conscience. This
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