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146
TULSI-PRAJÂNĂ
captivated and degraded ascetic.2 The woman who has trapped the ascetic treats him worse than a servant-almost like a slave. There is nothing left of his own personality and he is reduced to become a nincompoop.
In this article, we shall try to expound the process of victory over sex as prescribed by Bhagawan Mahāvira and enunciated by Arya Sudharmā. The verses 3 , 50-53 unambiguously lay down the necessity of austerities (tapas) in general and meditation in particular in the asct tic life. In the first verse of section 2 (i.e. No. 32), the ascetics are reminded that their goal is self-realization, i.e., to become a pure singularity, a pure SELF, without any encumbrance of attachment and affection. And this is possible only if they keep themselves totally free from the sensual desires-particularly the sexual indulgence.
Now it is not uncommon that during the initial stages of the spiritual progress on the path of self-realization, an immature ascetic is frequently harassed and tormented by the onslaught of sensual desires, Knowing this, he has been counselled not to succumb to the insistence of such a desire but to countermand (facut its demand.
Three Levels of Sex
To fully comprehend the process of the victory over sex, it is necessary to know the triple-level nature of sex, viz.
(i) impulsive (emotional) level (ii) mental (psychological) level and (iii) physical or physiological level
This triple aspect of sex is indicated by the term 7A-45-a2z'in verse no.33.
This term is a compound of three words : (i) Kāma (Káma) -- sex impulse (ii) Mati (Mai)-sexual desire (iii) Vrttam (Vattam)-sexual act
The word kāma refers to the first or the subtlemost level viz., emotional level. i.e.. the urge for sex or sex impulse (kama-vāsanā). It is produced in the subtle body; the word mati refers to the second level, the mental or psychological level i.e., the feeling or desire in the mind; and the word Vrttam refers to the third level, the physiological level i.e., the physical act to satisfy the desire. Thus, the physical sexual act is the consummation of the sex impulse which exists as a primal drive in every living organism. 1. The Emotional Level
According to the doctrine of karman, the sex-impulse is a
