Eleven Model Stages of The Renunciation (Pratimās) of a Votary
Eleven model stages of renunciation have been admitted for votaries. The characteristics of these stages are successive qualitative improvement in their higher stages. They are described below:
(1)Darsana Pratimā (Model Stage of Right Faith or Vision)
The right-faithed votary is defined as the individual who observes the transgression-less righteousness, practices detachment from the world, body and sensual enjoyments, has taken refuge of the five Supreme souls (Parameṣthīs) and who observes the eight primary virtues (Mūlaguṇas) leading towards the path of observance of twelve vows.
In some texts, the renunciation of seven addictions (Vyasanas) has also been stated for the right-faithed votary. The seven addictions of gambling, alcoholism, meat-eating, prostitution, hunting, stealing and enjoyment with others’ wives are sins leading to evil destinity in future.19
(2)Vrata Pratimā (Model Stage of Vow-observance)
The avowed votary is the individual who accepts and observes the twelve vows without any stings and transgressions.20
(3)Sāmāyika Pratimā (Model Stage of Equanimity Practice)
The equanimity practitioner is the individual votary who
(i) offers bowing four-times to the Jinas preceded by four-fold three rounds with budded hands (Avarta),
(ii) stays in standing posture (Kāyotsarga),
(iii) is devoid of internal and external possessions,
(iv) offers bowing on sitting after the eulogisation of Jina deities,
(v) is purified by mind, speech and body, and
(vi) offers bowing thrice a day with all the above steps.
The method of practicing equanimity will be described later.
(4)Prosadha Pratimā
(Model Stage of Fasting or single-dieting)
Every votary should try to undertake the process of fasting or single-dieting on the two eighth (Ashtamī) and two fourteenth (Caturdaṡī) days of the months and all holy days as per his capacity.
(5)Sacitta Tyāga Pratimā
(Model Stage of Renunciation of Animate Greens)
The avowed person is called the renouncer of animate greens who does not eat raw roots, fruits, vegetables, flowers, tubers and sprouts etc. He takes these edibles after cutting or boiling etc.
(6)Rātribhojana Tyāga Pratimā
(Model Stage of Renunciation of Night-eating)
An individual, who renounces to take all the four kinds of foods in night, is called nighteating renouncer.
(7)Brahmacarya Pratimā (Model Stage of Total Celibacy)
The individual, who gets averse to sex-desires and renounces the women contact in general, is called mental resolver of celibacy.
(8)Arambha Tyāga Pratimā
(Model Stage of Renunciation of Occupational Violence)
The renunciation of unavoidable (domestic or occupational) violence in service, agriculture and business etc. causing injury to the living beings, is called the model stage of renunciation of occupational violence.
(9)Parigraha Tyāga Pratimā
(Model Stage of Renunciation of Attach- mental Posessions)
It is defined as the detachment from ten types of physical possessions after renouncing attachmental attitude towards them.
(10)Anumati Tyaga Pratima
(Model Stage of Renunciation of Approvalin Household affairs)
It is defined as not to offer approval (or dis-approval) in household affairs like occupational violence, possessions on matrimonial relations etc.
(11)Uddista Tyāga Pratimā
(Model Stage of Renunciation of the selfintended objects like Foods etc.)
This type of renouncer leaves the home, lives in forest (or temples) and takes vows from the Preceptor, undertakes austerities, takes food offered by householders and wears a loin cloth & an insufficient unstiched cloth (The votary at this stage does not accept any particularised food etc. prepared for him).
The votary of this model stage are of 2 types :
(1)Two-clothed votary or votary with two clothes (Kṣullaka)
(2)Toin-clothed votary (Ailaka)
The two-clothed votary wears a loin cloth & one insufficient unstiched cloth (i.e. small sheet of cloth which can not cover whole of the body). He also keeps a wooden water jar with a nozzle (Kamandalu) and an auspicious article made of peacock-feathers (Picchī).
The loin-clothed votary wears only a loin cloth and he does not keep any other cloth. This class of votary has to pluck his hairs by own hands and has to take food in his hand-bowl.
The votaries, possessing the above model stages are not authorised for the following five practices:
(1)To undertake kāyotsarga (Detachmental posture) in the sky-clad state in the day.
(2)Heroic practices (to go for taking food) like the naked saint.
(3)Season-based meditation.: Meditation on mountain tops in the summer, under the tree in rainy season and on the banks of the rivers in winter season.
(4)Studies of canonical (sacred) texts : Texts divinely proclaimed by the omniscients and scriptural omniscients or composed by their chief disciples, self-enlightened and ten pre-canonist saints.
(5)Studies of disciplinary texts involving expiatory contents.21
