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506
The Unknown Pilgrims
contribute greatly to acquiring freedom of spirit and detachment. Moreover, the deep reason underlying it being ahiṁsā, it is not enough to have renounce for oneself the preparation of food. One must still be concerned for other people and, like the bee, gather from here and there without harming anyone.
I - Priyaścittas: Expiations
Prāyaścittas are one of the principal forms of inner tapas; they contribute towards saṁvara and nirjarā.122 They correspond to the violation, whether conscious or less conscious, serious or less serious, of numerous rules such as are only understandable in the context of an ascetic life lived in daily contact with society. These very precise rules of life, dating from another day and age, set forth meticulously not only the observances which must be performed, but also all possible forms of infringements, as well as exceptions dictated by good sense in accordance with circumstances.
All the exigences of the ascetic life are, in fact, examined, and examined in detail, in the Sūtras: Acārānga, Sūtrakstānga, Daśavaikālika and Uttarādhyayana. These Agamas transmit a spirit and indicate a path. However, community-life and relations with society at large necessitate precise details and, as one might say, a certain casuistry.123 This is the function performed by the Chedasūtras, which deal with both the many and multifarious rules and with the expiations or penances attached to breaches of these rules. 124
122 Cf. P 369 ff.
123 Cf. Dixit, 1978, pp. 8-9: "Monastic Jurisprudence: not yet formulated."
124 Here we shall only give a brief introduction to the Cheda-sütras and an outline of their contents, particularly that portion which is still observed in contemporary practice.' References to these Sutras are given in the other section, of this ch. There are some good studies on this vast subject; cf. Caillat, 1975; Deo, 1960; Dixit, 1978: "The four Old Chedasūtras", pp. 4253; JSBI "Chedasūtra", pp. 215-298.
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