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524
The Unknown Pilgrims
v) Prayascittas in the Jitakalpa-sútra
This text introduces little that is new. Its virtue is to present in a systematic and concrete manner what was present already elsewhere in a very unorganised way. This Sūtra enumerates the ten prāyaścittas and then, taking each in turn, gives a list of the type of faults that are to be expiated by each prāyaścitta.191 It is noteworthy that the section on tapas is by far the most detailed. This is on account of the intrinsic importance of tapas, the frequence of the choice of this prayaścitta in practice and the great variety of occasions on which it is assigned. In the section devoted to tapas, mention is made of the aticāras, offences committed in respect to jñāna and darśana as well as in respect to each of the mahāvratas. Nowadays, the most commonly assigned prāyaścittas are different forms of tapas and kāyotsarga. 192
J - Vividha caryås: Various occupations
During the course of the day the sădhvis have various occupations, appropriate to their particular group, to their geographical location and to the season of the year, these occupations, which may be either personal or community ones, are not strictly speaking spiritual or intellectual, but practical or artistic. 193 Even these activities, including the most ordinary, have a special meaning for the sādhvis. They all bear the mark of ahimså.
The washing of linen
191 Thus ālocană: Jitakalpa 5-8; pratikramaņa, 9-12; ubhaya: 13-15; viveka: 16-17: vyutsarga: 18-22: tapas: 23-79: cheda: 80-82: müla anavasthāpya: 87-93; părăñcika: 94-102.
192 Most of the refs. given in this section I have checked with Sadhvi Hemaprabha and Mahasati Tarulată.
193 Caryā, in contemporary parlance, denotes that which must be done, work; and also the performance of rites and observances. Thanks to their consecration, the sādhvis regard each act as having a spiritual connotation and as being part of the ongoing world-wide purificatory process. Cf. P 524 ff. for certain more specialised spiritual and intellectual activities.
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