Page:The Heart of Jainism (IA heartofjainism00stevuoft).djvu/266

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THE JAINA ASCETIC

The following śloka tells how the vow is kept:

'Renouncing liking for pleasant touch, taste, smell, form,[1] or word,[2] and for all the objects of the five senses, renouncing hatred for unpleasant objects, these are the ways to maintain the vow of Aparigraha.'

Rātribho-
jana
tyāga.

Certain Śvetāmbara add a sixth vow, that of never dining after it is dark (Rātribhojana tyāga), lest they should inadvertently take life, but most Jaina consider this included under the other vows that protect insect life.

Twenty-seven Qualities of the Ideal Monk.

We have seen that the Jaina have a conception of the ideal layman; and in the same way they also show us the picture of a perfect monk, summed up in a Māgadhī śloka:

'The true ascetic should possess twenty-seven qualities, for he must keep the five vows, never eat at night, protect all living things,[3] control his five senses, renounce greed, practise forgiveness, possess high ideals, and inspect everything he uses to make sure that no insect life is injured. He must also be self-denying and carefully keep the three gupti, he must endure hardships in the twenty-two ways, and bear suffering till death.'

  1. i. e. beauty.
  2. i. e. literature and oratory.
  3. Of the six classes.