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APPENDIX 2
THE BASIS OF BECOMING A TIRTHANKAR: THE TWENTY AUSPICIOUS PRACTICES
To reach the status of a Tirthankar it is not enough to do certain practices during certain birth. It is the result of a progressive
process of unveiling the potential energy through endeavors in right direction during a series of incarnations. At what point
this pursuit started and how it progressed, is detailed in the scriptures. It seems that the chief disciples or gods must have
expressed their curiosity about the journey towards ultimate purity and the Tirthankars must have provided the details. That
is why details of earlier births of all Tirthankars are available.
The counting of these births
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starts from the birth
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in which the soul gets the
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first glimpse of righteousness.
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This is considered
to be the most important turning point for a soul because once the right direction is attained, liberation is certain.
The Earning of Tirthankar-nam-karma
The loftiest of the pious category of Karmas is said to be the Tirthankar-nam-karma. It is important to know when and how it
is acquired because this is the basis over which the status of Tirthankar is founded. This Karma is acquired one birth earlier.
It is the physical or normal human body that acquires this Karma. The aural alternate body (Vaikriya Sharir) does not have the
capacity to acquire this Karma. The future Tirthankar descends from the dimension of gods or ascends from the dimension
of hell. In both these dimensions the souls have aural bodies. As the aural body does not have the capacity for long-term
spiritual practices, this Karma is not acquired during this immediately preceding birth. That is the reason that all the Tirthankars
do their final spiritual practices of acquiring this Karma during their last but second birth as human beings. During that birth
they acquire a high degree of purity of perception. They become Kshyak Samyaktvi (the level of purity where the past Karmas
are destroyed not suppressed).
The acharyas say that the goal of spiritual pursuit should not be the status of a Tirthankar. Though its status is very high the
Tirthankar-nam type of Karma is still a Karma and as such a tie. On the path of purity an effort to earn pious Karma is not
advisable. The spiritualists never indulge in any activity that leads to bondage, irrespective of its being pious.
All activities by spiritualists are directed toward shedding of the Karmas. As a result of certain activities or practices certain
Karmas are wiped and as a consequence this specific bondage is achieved without striving for it. These practices are
numbered twenty. These are also known as the twenty practices leading to the Tirthankar status and are believed to be the
fundamental guiding factors for attaining the status of Tirthankar. These are:
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1. Worship of the Arihant (Tirthankar).
2. Worship of the Siddha (liberated soul).
3. Faith in the discourses.
4. Worship of the teacher.
5. Worship of the senior ascetic.
6. Worship of the scholar.
7. Worship of these who indulge in penance.
8. Continued application of knowledge for maximum possible time.
9. Purity of perception.
10. To praise the virtues of others and be happy at the progress of others.
11. To practice the six essentials including Pratikraman (self-analysis) in the prescribed way and at the prescribed time.
12. Observe all the vows and codes of conducts with ever increasing indulgence.
13. Detachment-always practice apathy for attachment, fondness, conceit, and greed. Develop the attitude of being detached.
14. To activate the potential or to practice penance with all intensity.
15. To give due importance and respect to the four pronged religious organizations.
16. To look after and take care of the detached.
17. To enhance knowledge regularly.
18. To have faith on the sermons of the detached.
19. To give charity to the deserving.
20. Devotion for Tirthankar’s sermons and the disciple of the order.
Amar Muni - Tirthankar Charitra - Surana # 49
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