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(33) sense desires, mastery of passions, and governance of emotions. One who has acquired sufficient spiritual development to adopt the discipline of a Jaina saint, is above irritation and vexation. He is indifferent to all abuse, injury, torture or dishonour. He has supreme compassion, for the whole humanity, or rather for all living beings, human and sub.human. When engaged in deep concentration of mind, there is hardly any perceptible movement of body, speech, or mind, and all Himsa is avoided. But, even when not so engaged, a Jain saint would be above commission of any Dravya Himsa at all. A Jain saint takes food not for the Telish of it, nor for acquiring physical strength. He takes it simply to sustain the body, which is an instrument for the purification of the soul encased therein. He would walk very carefully, looking up 4 cubits of ground in front, with all caution, so as to avoid injury to the tiniest living being, and would take a meal offered to him in all humility and with deep reverence by a householder who has not prepared it specially for the saint; and this meal he takes off his hands, standing, in a small quantity, and never more than once at midday, in 24 hours. For rest, or sleep he reclines on the bare ground, for a short time, and does not change the position of his body frequently. He has a vow of total silence at night, and also in the day while taking meals, and while engaged in meditation or study. He delivers religious discourses in a calm, placid, manner without any malice, excitement, or prejudice. His whole life is dedicated to peace and purity, and for the good of all.
The great saint Amrita Chandra Suri no doubt recommends the highest full vows of a saint to a Right Believer, because as a rule one should always aim at the highest. If however one's capacity does not permit him to scale so high, he may proceed on the path of progress by a graduated course of self-discipline, the layman's path, which is also divided into eleven degrees, graduated according to the increasing capacities of the disciple, the Shrávaka. There are six daily duties prescribed for a Shrávaka the performance of which
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