Acharanga Bhasyam: Sūtras 62-68 : Practice Of Asceticism In Solitariness By An Immature Ascetic

5.62 gāmāṇugāmaṃ dūijjamāṇassa dujjātaṃ dupparakkaṃtaṃ bhavati aviyattassa bhikkhuṇo.

The monk who wanders from village to village alone in a state of immature knowledge and conduct is overpowered by troubles and tribulations and exerts in an undesirable way.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 62

Now, the Sūtra mentions the pitfalls of the monk who is inapt and dwells alone. The inapt is so in respect of knowledge and age. The monk who has read the Ācārakalpa or who has become competent to practise the intensive penance of solitary dwelling on account of his study is the apt one. One who has not read the Ācārakalpa is inapt. The monk who is below the age of sixteen is inapt. His itinerary from village to village is against the discipline and spiritual exertion in ineffectual.

The solitary itinerary^[1] from village to village of an inapt monk is exposed to troubles and tribulations, and his spiritual exertion also is away from the proper path of discipline.^[2]

5.63 vayasā vi ege buiyā kuppaṃti māṇavā.

Immature people get angry even with trifle abuse.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 63

Some inapt persons get angry when adversely addressed. They are overwhelmed with emotion on hearing unfavourable remarks. This is a form of disturbance in the observance of the discipline.

5.64 unnayamāṇe ya ṇare, mahatā moheṇa mujjhati.

An immature person puffed up with egoism is embarrssed with deep delusion.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 64

An inapt person, on hearing words of praise from others, is puffed up with, that is, overcome by egoism; he feels stupefied due to deep delusion. This is also a disturbance in the discipline. The inapt, non-plused by praise, is stupefied sometimes by deluded (i.e. perverse) faith (doctrine), sometimes by deluded ethics.

5.65 saṃbāhā bahave bhujjo-bhujjo duratikkamā ajāṇato apāsato.

There are many obstacles, very difficult to overcome for the ignorant and the blinded.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 65

For the inapt who neither knows nor sees, there arise frequently many obstructions, that is, troubles and tribulations. He does not know or see how these hardships and troubles are to be endured; nor does he know the merit in enduring them and the demerit in not enduring them. Consequently they are very difficult for him to overcome.

5.66 eyaṃ te mā hou.

'Let me wander alone in the immature state', - let such whim not occur in your mind.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 66

One should not entertain the idea of living a lonely life in the state of inaptness. This is the advice of the teacher to the taught.

If an inapt person desires to dwell alone, the order of the discipline is disrupted. In the Jina's order, there is prescribed not only collective practice of discipline, but there is also the prescription of individual practice, though, of course, there are proper grounds for the latter. A competent person is allowed to make his own resolve of lonely dwelling. The prohibition is only with respect to an incompetent person.

5.67 eyaṃ kusalassa daṃsaṇaṃ.

This is the doctrine of the wise.

Bhāsyam Sūtra 67

The demerits of the lonely life of the inapt, mentioned here, are in accord with the discipline of the enlightened Lord.

5.68 taddiṭṭhīe tammottīe tappurakkāre tassaṇṇī tannivesaṇe.

The monk should fix his faith in the doctrine of the Lord, identify himself with it, accord supreme importance to it, merge himself in the memory of it and completely dedicate himself to it.

Bhāṣyaṃ Sūtra 68

The aspirant should fix his attention on the doctrine of the enlightened, that is, he should identify himself with it. He should embody the doctrine and merge himself in it in order to observe the discipline. He should always keep his mind turned towards the discipline, keeping it in front of his mind. He should have a steadfast memory of the discipline in order ever to be mindful of it. He should fix his mind on it and get his mind firmly concentrated on it.^[3]