अनाहार सूत्र की साधिका

Summary

This PDF discusses the concepts of austerity (tapasya) and resolve (abhigraha) within the Jain tradition, focusing on the life of Sadhvi Pannaji. It argues that dietary restraint and fasting are not only spiritual practices but also offer solutions to social problems like hunger. The text explains that while not everyone can perform extreme penance, anyone can adopt a resolve for dietary moderation. It highlights the power of fasting (anahar), stating that a person lives more by fasting than by eating, and that those who have mastered this power have achieved health, strength, and longevity. The document details the tradition of ascetics and resolve-holders in Jainism, tracing it back to Lord Mahavira, who performed great penance and difficult resolves. It presents Sadhvi Pannaji as a contemporary representative of this tradition, noting that her life is a living testament to great austerity and resolve. Her penance is described as rare because each of her fasts is infused with a specific resolve, and each resolve is strengthened by penance. The text defines a resolve as a specific mental determination, such as vowing to break a fast only under certain conditions. The PDF outlines four types of resolves related to alms: concerning substance (dravya), place (kshetra), time (kal), and intention (bhav). Sadhvi Pannaji's resolves are said to encompass all four types. The purpose of such resolves is to strengthen mental fortitude and tolerance, to diminish attachment and pride, and to accelerate the shedding of karmas. The text describes Sadhvi Pannaji's first resolve, made before her initiation, to fast until her in-laws allowed her to see a revered acharya. After her initiation, she began a life of intense fasting, including 2668 days of fasting (taking only water) in her first 21 years as a sadhvi. She later adopted the chauvihar fast (abstaining from both food and water), maintaining an alternate-day fast for 50 years. The document recounts specific remarkable