Life of a Jain Sadhu

Jain saints(sadhu) are followers of 28 virtues as being described in the holy books.

They follow and preach non violence .They maintain equanimity and worship Jinandra Bhagwan Daily to perform study of holy scriptures, and self repentance and leave their love of body. They do not take their bath or brush their teeth and their clothes are only space. They sleep only once on the ground for some time with one posture after mid night. They pull out their hairs and do not fear the pain and keep themselves busy in meditation. They always maintain normalacy, calm and forgiveness in presence of enemy or friend, palace or cremation ground. accusement or praise, worship or attack or any contradictory situation.

They keep with them - a pichhi( a bundle of naturally fallen peacock feathers to brush away the dust while sitting), a kamandala( a wooden vessel to clean themselves after going for excretion) , shastras(religious books) and spectacles, if he is a person wearing them.They do not keep money or any valuble things. They do not use beds, sleeping bags, or bedsheets and rugs. They sleep on wooden planks or wooden cot, just with a mat on it.In sleep also they do not change their side,with the idea that some germ moving there might get killed.

Aahar

The food practice of a Jain Saint is known as Aahaar. They take food only once a day.That too is a strict practice. They can not use dishes or dining table. They stand , stretch out their palms, and somebody put food into their open palms. They inspect and confirming it safe, they have it. If any such thing is found, they leave it there itself, and no food will be taken by them till next day. If they hear any cry- of an animal, or a person in distress etc, while taking food , they give up their food their itself.

The food they take is simple and tasteless. They take rice, chapathis made of wheat, some curry( without salt), cocconut water.The food is just to get minimum strength required to maintain life activities. They often take 'hunger vow'-i.e., no food for the day. Sometimes, this hunger vow continues for even eight days.The great nude saint of twentieth century, Acharya Shantisagarji maharaj, had a total period of twenty-six years of hunger in his life span of seventy years.

Vihaar

Moving of a Jain Saint from one place to another is known as Vihar. Jain saints never use any vehicle or conveyance.They walk bare foot in every season.Either it is chilly winter or a schorching summer .The reason for this is to avoid even the minutest organisms to come under any vehicle.The Vihar activity of Jain Saints can be seen through out the year, except four months which are known as "Chaturmas".Generally this is during the rainy season (from June to Sept) During this period they stay at a place so as to avoid any violence towards minute organisms.

Keshloch

Digamber Jain muni pull out their hair of head, beard and pair of moustaches with their own hands without any sort of appliance voluntarily, and without any feeling of pain once every three months and even observe fast on that day. This process is called Kesh Lonch. As they have no feeling or love of any attachment and saturated with the beauty of soul, while ordinary people get their hairs cut and trimmed fashionable due to their love for hairs and to increase the beauty of their body.

By practicing kesh lonch humblelessness renunciation of the world braveness and purity in vote appears. Digambar Muni is absolutely free from money and wealth as he leaves cloths too, if he does not pull out hairs with his own hands then he will have to employ barber or use scissors etc. and for that he will need money which he does not possess so he will have to stretch his hands before others and thus his nature of not begging will be destroyed. A great Nirgranth Muni can not beg humbly from others.

Samadhi

This is also known as Sallekhna when Jain Sadhu renounces the body.

Sallekhana is embracing the death voluntarily when both householders and ascetics foresee that the end of the life is very near either due to the old age, incurable disease, severe famine, attack from the enemy or wild animal, etc. At such time one overcomes all the passions and abandon all the worldly attachments by observing austerities such as gradually abstaining from the food and the water and simultaneously meditating on the true nature of the Self until the soul parts the body.

An approximate assesment of the remaining span of the life is necessary in order to adjust to the nature of the fasting. He should endure all the hardships, but if he falls ill or for any other reason can not maintain the peace of mind, then he should give up Sallekhana and resume taking foods and other activities. Accepting to perform Sallekhana is a very special vow. The principle behind this vow is that a person while giving up this body with complete peace of mind, calmness, and patience, without any fear at all not only prevents the influx of the new karmas but also purges the old karmas which are attached to the soul.