________________
are full of impurities vitiating them to get riddance from: 'Samsara' ie all existence is flowing towards dynamic balance inspite of appearing in turmoil and dis-array: 'Ashrava. Samvara, and Nirjara' i.e. the sure processes of Karma vargana pudgala with Jiva consciousness, 'Loka' i.e. the location in the universe where souls after being dis-embodied and totally liberated reach and thereafter prefer to remain Unmanifest in a state of dynamic balance: 'Bodhi-durlabha' i.e. the rarity of such a fortunate occurance as the acquiring human birth where only a participation in evolution to achieve the state of divinity is possible and lastly Dharma i.e. the force which binds the embodied souls back to the innate pure consciousness of perfect perception, knowledge, power and bliss.: all these certainly give strength and encouragement for the practice of 'tapas', the austerities, leading to the achievement of the goal. Though the internal austerities are more emphacised being more important for real transformation by their remaining invisible to others, there is a great scope for hypocrisy and self-deception and therefore a reasonable standard of external austerities also becomes extremely relevant and necessary. Both are however intended to bring about a sense of conquered balance in oneself: the itching hands, the irrepressible tongue, the indulgent eyes and ears, the hungry stomach and the wandering mind. Unodari' i.e. keeping the stomach less than full, 'Anashana' i.e. not eating at all, fasting for a duration, short or long, 'Rasaparityaga' i.e. giving up of attachment for or even aversion for tastes, not necessarily not eating what tastes well but also eating with cool and in a collected manner what does not come upto your standard of taste, Vrittiparisamkhyana' i.e. limiting your desires for varieties in all respects, not only food but also clothes and other requirements, 'Kayakleshna' i.e. not mortification of flesh but training the body to be supple, strong, plastic and harmonious and 'Sanlinta' achieving the state of wide calmness, rock-like and unperturbable by any thing or situation. In none of these, there is to be a suppression; the senses and the mind have to be taught to learn the balance,
77
