________________
CHAPTER SEVEN
257
(5) Not to feel attraction towards such touch, taste, smell, colour and sound as rouse an agreeable feeling and not to feel aversion against such touch, taste etc. as rouse a disagreeable feeling—that is, according similar treatment to an agreeable and a disagreeable touch, taste etc.
Jainism being a religion directed towards renunciation a monk practising mahāvratas occupies the most important place in the Jaina religious order. Hence the bhāvanās have been described here as pertaining to mahāvratas and so that they are in conformity to a monk's duties. Even so, their nature is such that any and every practiser of vratas can increase or reduce their number as might suit his own level of spiritual development. Hence keeping in view the specific conditions of place and time as also the inner capacity of the practiser concerned the bhāvanās can be increased, reduced or ramified—as to their numbr and as to their meaning-, all this being done from the pure motive of rendering steady a vrata that has been accepted. 3.
A Number of other Bhāvanās :
To view in relation to the five defilements violence etc. the this-worldly troubles as also the other-worldly undesirable contingencies. 4.
Or to develop in relation to these violence etc. a feeling that they are of the nature of but misery. 5.
To develop a feeling of friendliness in relation to beings in general, a feeling of gladness in relation to those superior to oneself in merits, a feeling of compassion for those in misery, a feeling of neutrality in relation to those who in an idiot-like fashion are unworthy of instruction. 6.
To reflect over the nature of the world in general and of body so as to develop a feeling of fear and of dispassion in relation to things worldly. 7.
When defects are correctly viewed as belonging to the things that are to be renounced, then alone can a renunciation of these things be of a lasting character. Hence with a view to the
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org