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Jaina Path of Purification (Liberation)
129
ht measure observed properly is beneficial to bodily health. For the wise, fasting becomes useful in purifying mind and thereby deriving spiritual benefits. It cultivates endurance. The word 'upavāsa' is lerived from the verbal root vas (to be, to exist) with the prefix upa (near). Thus, it means an act of being near one's own soul, that is, an act of being in the pure state of one's soul. And fasting becomes austerity to the extent it achieves this objective. By observing 'āmbela'' we can achieve the purpose of controlling our desire for relishing various sweet juices. Again, its observance is useful in keeping our body healthy. It controls diabetes and cholesterol). Observance of 'ekāśana' (taking food only once a day) limits our botheration of food to only one time in a day, keeps our body light and agile, and gives us more time and scope for good activities.
External austerity easily attracts the attention of the people, because it is capable of being seen. Moreover, it does not require any special merit for its practice. Again, its practiser gains fame, praise and honour quickly and easily. This is the reason why it spreads among the people in no time. People do not have any idea of its limitations and uses. Formerly in ancient times, its use was in that the people might take care of their health and repeatedly subject their bodies to various hardships so that they could cultivate power of endurance which on occasions in future might enable them to face hardships and sufferings. Now both these things are not taken into account or kept in view, while practising external austerity; and hence these two objectives are also not achieved. People know Lord Mahāvīra's external austerity, but they do not care to know his internal austerity. That great sage and seer (rss) practised internal austerity more than the external one. We should direct our attention first to his practice of internal austerity.
Lord Mahavira's external austerity was meant to undergo expiation through finding out and destroying the defiling impressions left behind
1. 'Ambela' is also a vow of taking food only once in a day. But the vower has to refrain
from taking milk, curd, butter-milk, oil, ghee, molasses, sugar and spices like chilli powder, etc. Again, he is required not to eat green and dry vegetables as also green and dry fruits. He can take food prepared from grains like wheat, millet, moong, black beans, gram, rice, etc. He can eat dāla (semi-liquid preparation made from split pulses), rice, chapatis, etc. He can also eat parched rice, parched jowar, roasted gram. He can take baked salt, dry ginger and black pepper.
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