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of acquiring knowledge) an aspirant ought to put himself to inconvenience keeping in mind his capacity for tolerance. Bodily penance also teaches you not to ascribe so much importance to your physical self.
Mahavira said, “A monk bears hunger, thirst, discomfort, cold, heat, fear and anguish with an unperturbed mind. Toleration of suffering caused to the body because of this will entail him great benefits."
One who has not been seasoned cannot far hardships. A well-tuned body is more resistant to colds, disease and infection. One who is tolerant of the affliction of the twins like cold and heat is spiritually freed due to his being free from the passions. It is known now that too few negative ions and too many positive ions, have been linked to heart attacks, aggravated asthma, migraines, insomnia, rheumatism, arthritis, hay fever and allergies. The person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation. Experience all the dualities. Tolerate them. See them. Accept them. Don't be afraid of experience, because the more experience you have, the more mature you become. To discipline and train the body and to have no attachment to body and bodily comforts, the disciple bears heat or cold, do not use fan or AC, do not take a bath, tonsure the head and face, remains naked or wears minimum seamless cloth, walk barefoot, do not take siesta, sleeps on hard floor with restrictions on time, abstain from medicines . All these form part of this category of penance. However, under this penance the body is not to be destroyed or harmed-as there is no enmity towards the body. The body has to be maintained as a medium for practicing religion. However, it has to be kept under
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