Life Of Digmbar Jain saint

Author(s): Jayantilal Jain
Publisher: Jayantilal Jain

Page 3

o oo o They do not address their family members or acquaintances by their relationships but address them as any other house holders. o Walk barefoot and do not use any vehicle for movement from place-to-place. o Saints do special recitations on Jain festivals and auspicious days on the life of Great Preachers. o Write/preach when needed and do not speak at night. Do scrutiny of food by observation and give up if they find any one of 46 defects in food or 32 interruptions or 14 filth defects as purity of food is of utmost importance. o Saints take food/water placed in the hollowed hand-palms by followers if given only in a prescribed manner. The objective of food is not for health/life but for self-study, practicing restraint and meditation. o The food and water intake is usually restricted to 32 times. At times, do not take food for many days/months in view of preoccupation with meditation. O The saints observe ten spiritual virtues such as supreme forgiveness, modesty, straight forwardness, purity, truth, restraint, austerity, renunciation, non-attachment (nonpossession) and celibacy. Reflect on twelve contemplations to practice detachment to the world at large, sixteen causative factors that lead to being born as Great Preacher/lead to liberation and give up 37500 types of lethargy which prevent reflection on the nature of soul. o In rare cases, some saints acquire automatically one or more out of classified 64 supernatural powers by practicing intense austerities. End of life: They plan to leave this body with no attachments relating to this body Saints undertake prudent/holy death under certain conditions by gradually giving up food and drinks through an elaborately prescribed process. Some saints attain the state of Omniscient and Moksha, while others may attain the same in future birth, if the above practices are followed in its entirety. * At present, hundreds of saints live across various locations in India and follow the above practices with some minor variations. Professor Jayanti Lal Jain Director, Center of Philosophical Sciences Mangalayatan University, Aligarh (India) P.S: For details, refer to the texts like 'Mulachara', 'Bhagvati Aradhana', and 'Angara Dharmamruta', etc. Italic words are those as used in Indian Vernacular /Jain Scriptures.