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Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
109
and taking food, the utensils should be made of wood, clay or gourd. He is indifferent towards the world, though he bears no hatred towards it; the worldly ends of power, fame and wealth for which men strive in sweating competition are of no importance to him.
In the rainy season, the monk should stay at one place. He should not even touch women.
In short, the monk should remain totally free from worldly affairs and dealings. He should remain fully engrossed in the spiritual bliss. His religious practice consists of sincere efforts to achieve spiritual welfare', to make his life useful and beneficial to others and to guide the people on the right path of purification. His life is a life of a good friend of all living beings. It is pure and luminous on account of the removal of defilements like pride, anger, greed, deceit, attachment, desire for selfworship, etc.
The Sanskrit term sādhu is employed to convey the sense of a monk. It means a person who has truly renounced the world. It means a spiritually brilliant and pure person in whom there is good union of right knowledge and wholesome conduct. Not yielding to attachment, he is
etāni yatipātrāņi Manuḥ Svāyambhuvo'bravit // His vessels should be non-metallic and free from holes. Manu has declared that the vessels of the ascetic should be a gourd, a vessel of wood or of earthenware, or of
splits. 1. Regarding the monk's state of non-attachment, there occurs in Manusmrti (VI. 47
48, 55, 57, 60) excellent teaching: ativādāms titikșeta nāvamanyeta kañcana / na cemam deham āśritya vairam kurvita kenacit //47// krudhyantam na pratikrudhyed akrustaḥ kusalam vadet /48A/ bhaikșe prasakto hi yatir visayesu api sajjati //55// alabhe na visādi syäd läbhe caiva na harşayet / prāņayātrikamātrah syān mäträsangăd vinirgataḥ //57// indriyānām nirodhena rāgadveşakşayena ca/ ahimsayā ca bhūtānām amtatvāya kalpate //60// The ascetic should patiently bear improper words. He should not insult anyone. He should not make enmity with anyone for the sake of his present body. Towards an angry man he should not retort in anger. When he is cursed, he should pronounce a blessing. The ascetic who becomes addicted to collecting alms becomes attached to sensual objects also. He should not be sorry at not obtaining alms; nor should he rejoice at obtaining it. He should have only what suffices to sustain his life. He should be free from all attachment to his accessories. By the restraining of the senses, by the extermination of attachment and aversion, and by not injuring living beings, he becomes fit for immortality.
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