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The Unknown Pilgrims
- The ǎryikās, no less than the Svetambara sadhvis, have always been the object of respect and veneration on the part of the samgha. Documents in their regard testify to the holiness of their lives. At Devagadha we may also see images of aryikās in dhyanamudră, which proves that they are recognised as being capable of mental concentration.46
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- It may be said that, on the whole, the samgha is little preoccupied with doctrinal subtleties, that hostility towards womankind has not contaminated the śravakas and śravikās nor the wearing of clothing by āryikās prevented them from considering them models worthy of imitation.
- Furthermore, in the course of this introduction to the way of life of the aryikās, we are going to see, as Mātāji explains, that the rules are the same as those of the munis, except that the former are clothed, they take their meal seated47 and certain postures are forbidden them. 48 The aryikās receive the same dikṣā as the munis, but on account of their wearing of clothing their mahāvratas are considered partial, in that their vow of aparigraha is not all-inclusive. Therefore it is affirmed that this dikṣa and these vows amount only to an upacāra,49 a practice, custom or semblance. In all this there remains a fair degree of ambiguity and the Digambaras should explain their position on this question with greater clarity.
- For the aryikās of our own day their position forms part of a wellestablished system of belief. Since they are permitted to embrace the
46 It is true that they are said to be incapable of advancing as far as śukladhyāna, but it is not denied that they can develop a certain capacity for concentration. It is interesting to note that so far no image of this sort depicting Śvetämbara sadhvis is known.
47 The Digambara munis take their meal standing.
48 These same postures are also forbidden to sädhvis.
49 Cf. Jñānamati, 1976, p. 26; JSK III,
p.
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