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Modus Operandi
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'Yoga-śastra' – “Nirjara-karaṇe bahyat śreştham Abhyantaram tapah", meaning, "for the purpose of Nirjara Abhyantara Tapa is better than Bahya. The great Acārya said this because one should first improve the inner tendencies of mind and practice those austerities which grow from within one's self. Outward manifestations, unaccompanied by mental and emotional growth, amount to mere hypocracy and cheating.
Abhyantara Tapa - The width and ambit of the meanings of Abhyantara and Bahya Tapa would be clear from their categories which are described as under —
There are six categories of Abhyantara Tapa, namely, (i) Prāyaścitta – Atonement for the breach of a vow resulting from carelessness or negligence, ( ii ) Vinaya -- Respect for the virtues such as Jñana, Darśana and Caritra, (iii) Vaiyá vștyaRendering of personal and impersonal service to those who deserve, (iv) Svadhyaya - Study to acquire true knowledge (v) Vyutsarga - Discarding ego and the sense of possession and ( vi ) Dhyana - Meditation to increase the power of concentration by making the mind, steady.
The above six categories of Abhyantara Tapa are cultivated by the mind which is inclined to learn, and to practice. the mind which has respect for the virtues and the mind which is ego-free. This condition of mind comes from the inner development only. The widest ramification of the meaning attributed to the austerities contemplated by Jainism becomes evident from the fact that even study of literature to get real kaowledge and rendering of personal and material service to the deserving are treated as 'Tapa'.
Bahya Tapa - Categories of Bahya Tapa also show its wide meaning. They are six, namely :
(i) 'Anasana or Upavāsa', i.e., fasting. 'Asana' means taking food. Prefix 'An' suggests a negative. The word “Upavasa' bas a wider meaning than a mere fasting. The prefix 'Upa' means near and 'Vasa' means residence. Nearness suggested by the prefix 'Upa' is nearness to the self. So the wider meaning of the word 'Upavasa' is to remain near to your
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