Pravachansara

Author(s): Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp Printers

Page 26

Pravacanasāra
accepts substances other than the soul and engenders dispositions of delusion (moha) or attachment (rāga) or aversion (dveşa). As a result, he is bound with various kinds of karmas. The ascetic has the Scripture, the Doctrine of Lord Jina, as his eyes. All objects-of-knowledge (jñeya), with their infinite qualities (guna) and modes (paryāya), are well-established in the Scripture. The ascetic acquires knowledge about these objects-ofknowledge (iñeya) through his eyes of the Scripture.
The importance of right faith The ascetic (muni, śramaņa) cannot attain liberation even after acquiring the knowledge of the tenets as contained in the Scripture if he does not have the right faith (samyagdarśana) in the objects of reality. Also, even after acquiring the right faith he cannot attain liberation if he does not follow the right conduct (samyakcăritra). The man with even infinitesimal infatuation (mūrcchā) for external objects like the body (śarīra) does not attain liberation, although he may have studied all the Scriptures. It is proclaimed that the ascetic who although adept in restraint (samyama), austerities (tapa) and interpretation of the Scripture but does not have faith in the reality of substances, the soul (ātmā) being the primary one, as expounded by the Omniscient Lord Jina, is not a genuine ascetic. The man who is engaged in activities of observing vows, regulations, study, meditation, and giving of gifts, but with concocted faith-based on the teachings of a non-omniscient preceptor - in objects like deva, guru and dharma, does not attain liberation but attains birth in pleasurable conditions. Only the ascetic who observes regulation - samiti – of the fivefold activity, control - gupti – of the threefold yoga, curbs the five senses - pańcendriyanirodha, subdues the passions (kaşāya), and is endowed with faith (darśana) and knowledge (jñāna), is said to have self-restraint (samyama). For the worthy ascetic, enemy and kinsfolk, happiness and misery, praise and censure, iron and gold, and life and death, are alike (he maintains equanimity).
The ascetic involved in worldly occupations is a worldly man The ascetic (muni, śramaņa) who is well-established in the trio of right faith (samyagdarśana), right knowledge (samyagjñāna) and right
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