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98 MAHĀVĪRA HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS
women
He should take up a detached lodging not frequented by women to preserve his chastity. The pious monk should abstain from ornaments A monk should be steadfast, righteous, content, restrained, and attentive to his duties. Birth is misery Old age is misery and so are disease and death. Nothing but misery is the samsara, in which men suffer distress A monk should be impartial towards all beings in the world and should be careful to speak truth He should keep the severe vow of chastity Mental and bodily penances should be practised He who possesses virtuous conduct and life, who has practised the best self-control, who keeps from sinful influences, and who has destroyed karma, will obtain mukti An ascetic will by means of his simplicity enter the path of Nirvāna Those who truly believe in the subject of exertion in righteousness taught by Mahavira, put faith in it, give credence to it, accept it, practise it, comply with it, study it, understand it, learn it, and act up to it, have obtained perfection, enlightenment, deliverance, final beatitude, and have put an end to all miseries
Meditation means abstaining to meditate on painful and sinful things. One should with a collected mind engage in pure meditation on the law.
