________________
emancipation. Even if there is attachment towards own body, it is an encumbrance.
As the Jaina ascetics are said to be unencumbered (Nirgrantha). The question can be raised as to how is it that they are still in the possession of their own bodies as well as some monastic equipage such as woollen or peacock-feather sweep, wooden utensils or gourd for carrying water, books and other study material, as also some items of clothing and other necessities – how so ever minimal – by the ascetics of the white-clad (Svetāmbara) sect? The answer lies not in their physical encumbrance but in the lack of attachment towards them.
The encumbrance is also an outcome of the greed-passion. It causes further spiritual damage, by associated anger, pride and deceit, that goes into their receipt, accumulation, enhancement, etc. Also, the gain gives rise to further greed and the vicious cycle goes on uninhibited unless it is checked consciously. We must recall, here, that greed is the most persistent passion that stays with the soul till the tenth stage of spiritual progress. Therefore, a conscious effort is called for overcoming this persistent passion.
The Jaina ascetics not only do not possess any valuable material belongings and whatever they have for sustaining their monastic practices is not encumbering for them, as they have no attachment for those belongings and look upon them as only necessary monastic aids. In doing so they abide by certain regulations such as - a. They do not desire to possess anything how-so-ever
valuable or trivial. b. They do not accept anything unless it is within the limit
laid down for their monastic equipage. c. They accept only that much of food that can be consumed
then and there for the Digambara ascetics and that very
278 : JAINISM: THE CREED FOR ALL TIMES
