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emancipation and liberation. The twenty-ninth chapter of Uttarādhyayana sūtra, entitled 'Samyakatvaparākrama', describes seventy-two activities such as strong craving for liberation (Saṁvega), detachment from the mundane (Nirveda), etc.,. These activities have been said to be means of destruction of the sinful karma, giving meritorious karmic bondage, and that of liberation itself. Therein there is no activity that results in the destruction of meritorious karma. The auspicious activities of mercy, kindness, compassion, charity, service, etc., simultaneously and effortlessly result in the destruction of sinful karmic bondages, the bonding of meritorious bondages and the soul's progress in the direction of liberation.
To derive enjoyment from the material means like the body, senses, mind, intellect, other material objects, etc., that are different from the self-form is mundane enjoyment. To try to obtain these means and to indulge in such enjoyment is lack of restraint. The lack of restraint is behind all kinds of ills like attachment-aversion, delusion, etc.,, which, in turn, results in all pain and misery. Therefore, to free the self from all these flaws and consequent pain and misery, it is essential to give up the craving for such mundane enjoyments. This amounts to restraint, which is natural to the soul. For a spiritual aspirant it is essential, that all his volitions and activities must be restrained. What is meant here is that giving up inauspicious activities and to engage in auspicious ones is restrained monastic conduct. As has been said -
Eyāo pañca samiño, caraṇassa ya pavattaạe | Guttī ņiyattaạe vuttā, asubhatthesu savvaso II
- Uttarādhyayana, 24.26 Five comportments (samitis) have been enunciated for the purpose of engaging in monastic conduct and three restrictions or self-controls (guptis) have been enunciated for disengaging from the sinful activities. Here, the disengagement has been prescribed only for the sinful inauspicious activities and not auspicious and inauspicious both. There is no restriction on the pursuit of meritorious auspicious activities. If it
Positive Non-Violence
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