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Jaina Asceticism : An Appraisal
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dharma, anuprekşā, caritra and tapas. Practice of all these aid in the attainment of Moksa from the Karmic bondage.
Samyama and tapas, i.e., self-control and austerities, constitute the negative and positive aspects of virtuous or religious life respectively and aim at the same ultimate object of emancipation of soul from the world of transmigration and misery. Self-control denotes repression of the chief impulses of rāga and dveşa which are the cause of influx of Karma-pudgala in Jiva and the resultant bondage. This is achieved by the pursuit of rigid and hard ascetic life. The Jaina ascetic is enjoined to abide by the 28 mūlagunas to attain soul's emancipation. The perfect asceticism consists in the said course of conduct ever intent on knowledge preceded by faith."
Tapas meaning austerities signifies painful experiences borne voluntarily with a religious motive to supress desires. So tapa is practised only to achieve renunciation. It consists of a hard and painful course of action such as fasting, less eating, renouncing certain delicacies, mortification of the body, confession of sins, penance, etc. Practice of these has the effect of cutting off Karma', the sole cause of bondage. Tapas help both in the process of samvara as well as in nirjarā.
After initiation in the order Lord Mahāvira himself practised self-mortification for twelve years and bore all sorts of hardships. He later discarded even clothes and became naked. Since then acelakatva became a necessary condition of non-attachment or renunciation. It is supposed to be the excellent type of Jaina asceticism. An ascetic is said to adopt a form similar to that in which he is born13. Nakedness is the ideal extension of the vow of non-altachment. This is why nakedness is enjoined in Svetāmbara texts also. 14
But acelakatva, however, connotes a deeper meaning than what is literally derived. The term 'acela' has two meanings. One is naked. This is possible to adopt only in places of seclusion. Another meaning is scantily clothed, which is perhaps enjoined while in sangha. Keeping in view the two meanings aforesaid, nakedness seems to denote a state of non-return to attachment to worldly objects. Absolute non-attachment is the essential condition of Jaina asceticism and all the rules and practices enjoined for an ascetic tend to be subservient to that essential condition. Even the things or outfits possessed by the ascetic are only the dharmopakarana necessary to the performance of religious duties and never his properties.
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