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Modus Operandi
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and our power of tolerance and understanding will go on. increasing
Thinking process has its own dynamism. By its very nature it can never remain stagnant. Therefore if a human being, allows the thinking process to go on, is bound to reach a stage of approaching reality. At that stage he realizes the real cause of his pains and pleasures, and once he realizes he tries to adjust himself to the situation. He is now ready and willing to experiment. Every experiment in the spiritual field brings unique and interesting results, giving further impetus to make progress. This surely results in 'will and eagerness', referred to above as 'basic postulates of spiritual progress'.
Anuvrata-Mahavrata - To those who are able to develop will and eagerness to go further in the spiritual journey, the Jaina seers have provided a sort of modus by the operation of which a positive achievement can be made. This modus covers the whole range of actual living. Distinction is, however, made between the life of a monk who has renounced the world, and the life of a house-holder who has to discharge all worldly duties and at the same time, wants to be free from the shackles of karmas. However, since the destination of both the monk as well as the house-holder is the same, the basic practice, they are prescribed to follow is the sanie. The difference is only in the degree, considering that one has renounced the worldly affairs while the other has to encounter all sorts of worldly conflicts. The milder form of practice prescribed for a house-holder is called 'Apuvrata' and highest and strictest standard is prescribed for the monks having renounced the world and aspiring to attain emancipation. This is called 'Maha vrata'. Before discussing the details of these practices, it would be quite necessary to understand the process by which a proper mental and emotional attitude can be prepared for performing these practices in true spirit.
Objective observation — It is easier to observe objectively the phenomena which are impersonal to us than to bring
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