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106 MAHĀVĪRA HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS
austerities practised by the Jains and the latter, spiritual exercises. Fasting, as we know, is the most conspicuous austerity. Jains have developed it to a kind of art and have reached a high proficiency in it.
The tenets of Jainism as a practical religion consist of the following points: longing for liberation, disregard of worldly objects, desire of the law, obedience to the co-religionists and to the Guru, confession of sins before the Guru, repenting of one's sins to oneself and also before the Guru, moral and intellectual purity of the soul, adoration of the 24 Jinas, paying reverence to the Guru, adoption of a particular posture of the body, self-denial, praises and hymns, punctuality, practice of penances, forgiveness, study and recital of sacred texts. concentration of thoughts, selfcontrol, practice of austerities, purging oneself of impurities arising from karma, mental independence, using unfrequented places, remaining away from the world, renouncing pleasure, food, passions, company, etc., conforming to the standard, doing service, fulfilling all virtues, freedom from passion, forbearance, freedom from greed, simplicity, modesty, sincerity of heart, watchfulness of the mind, speech, and body, discipline of the mind, speech, and body, possession of knowledge, faith,
