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Tattvärthasūtra
time limit. Study (svadhyāya), etc., are for a limited time. Restraint in roaming (iryāpatha), etc., are without time limit; that is, the ascetic has to observe these throughout his lifetime. Sometimes, owing to carelessness (pramada), the ascetic deviates from his vows and commits injury, and so on. When he is installed again in his vows, according to the rules, that is called the conduct of reinitiation chedopasthapană. Or chedopasthapană connotes the removal of mental impurity. Refraining from injury (himsa) to living beings is 'parihara'. 'Pariharaviśuddhi' is purity of conduct (căritra) emanating from refraining from injury (himsā). The conduct (caritra) in which passions (kaṣāya) are present only in negligible quantity is conduct (căritra) with slight passion - sukṣmasāmparāya. On the subsidence (quiescence) or destruction (kṣaya) of the entire deluding (mohaniya) karmas, the soul is characterized by its inherent nature – ātmasvabhāva.1 And this is called perfect or ideal conduct (athākhyātacāritra). This has been described by those in the previous stages of conduct, but has not hitherto been experienced by them prior to destruction or subsidence of deluding (mohanīya) karmas. This arises on the destruction or subsidence of the entire deluding karmas, as the meaning of 'atha' is immediate succession. Or, the alternative reading is 'yathakhyāta'. That is, the nature of the soul manifests just as it ought to be. The word 'iti' must be understood in the sense of completion. That is, it indicates that from perfect conduct follows the total destruction of all karmas. The five kinds of conduct in the sūtra are mentioned in order of their superiority.
Conduct (căritra) has been described. The sutra next to the one describing the causes of stoppage (samvara) mentions austerity (tapa). Now austerity (tapa) must be described. It is of two kinds, external (bahya) and internal (abhyantara). Each is of six subdivisions. The external (bahya) austerities are mentioned first.
1- The state of the soul when it is rid of (moha) and agitation (kṣobha) is its own-nature (atmasvabhava) - samya. (see 'Pravacanasara', verse 1-7).
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