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AN INTERPRETATION OF JAIN ETHICS
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ning work, nor see a performance in a circus, elephant fighting, etc.
;*;.
The* Siksha-Vratas, The Siksha-Vratas, are vows with reference to certain religioụs performances or actions to be done, throughout one's life, in regular intervals, the duration of which one fixes at the time of taking the Vratas.
The First Siksha-Vrata is the Samayika-Vrata, by which the Sravaka promises to perform, in certain intervals, the “Samayika-Kriya". The latter consists in sitting down, under the performance of certain formalities, for about forty-eight minutes, on a clean carpet, having put on clean clothes, and keeping one's mind concentrated on some religious activity, such as reading a re igious book, ciscussing religious subjęcts, moditating etc. For the duration of this time, the Sravaka vows to give up doing, and causing to be done, evil thoughts, words, and actions, nearly coming up to the moral standard of an ascetic for the time being.
By the Second Siksha-Vrata, or the Desavakasika-Vrata, he promises daily to fix a new limit within the limits fixed by the First, or those fixed by the Second Gunavrata, regulating the narrower limits in accordance with his daily requirements. The daily limitation of the things appertaining to the second Guna-Vrata is, generally, done with reference to fourteen stereotype points, viz. food containing life, kinds of food, the “ Vikritis" (viz. milk, curds, ghee, oil, molasses and certain fried things), thọn the quantity of food, betel, clothes, shoes, bedding, bathing, ointments, flowers, vehicles, sexual intercourse and the sphere of moving.
By the Third Siksha-Vrata. the Pausbadba-Vrata, the Sravaka promises to live, for a certain period, one day or longer, the life of an ascetic. The Paushadha Kriya affects four things, viz. food, bodily.care, sexual intercourse, and professional activity, which should be limited or given up respectively, for the period fixed. It is being performed
generally in special Pausha,dha Shalas, or in the Upasrayas, Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
