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Introduction
Here is the story of a Jain Saint who was a revolutionary in his outlook, who understood the basic principles of Jain philosophy in greater depth than those who charted the traditional way, and who silently suffered the penalties inposed on him by his contemporary traditionalists for his enlightened views.
Those were the days of rigidity of religious practice by Jain saints whose rocklike fundamentalism was buttressed by Shrawakas - their Jain followers, with the result that one who talked of reforms having regard to the progress of science in modern age, took a great risk of social boycott and expulsion from communal intercourse.
Jain saints of Sthanakvasi Sect have a very rigid and obscurantist way of life. They do not shave but uproot the hair grown on their body by plucking them by their own hands; they constantly cover their mouth with a piece of cloth called Muhapatti. They do not take bath regularly even in hot summer. They do not brush their mouth, do not touch a woman and do not use the seat occupied by a female. They treat every female saint with an air of male superiority and a male saint never bows to a female saint, however, senior and learned she may be, and they entertain a dogmatic belief that it is not open to a saint to take interest in the work of public nature such as help to the poor and needy and removal of evil social customs which result in gross injustice. All Jain saints are expected to move bare-footed even in hottest summer. They are expected to collect their food by accepting, small quantities from the surplus offered by different famillies. They cannot keep money nor can they collect food or any other
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