Recommended article to read before this:
- 12 Types of Tap in Jainism: https://medium.com/@jayshah_84248/12-types-of-tap-in-jainism-109a32f2591b
6 Internal Auterties (Abhyantar Tap)
Austerity (Tap) means restraint, which is done willingly by giving away some of the bodily comforts to discipline our minds from patience and pleasures. Tap helps us in destroying(Nirjara) Karma. There are six types of Abhyantar Tap. In Abhyantar tap focuses on purifying the internal thoughts by suppressing the desires. This tap is more fruitful then External Austerity (Bahyantar Tap) because it focusing on purifying the internal thoughts. The six types are:
1] Prayashchit
Prayashchit means to confess and repent. In this tap we confess all the mistakes done and repent on the mistakes done. If the mistake is small then repenting can be as easy as saying sorry. If the mistake is big then repenting can mean to do some kind of Tapasya, Tyaag, Daan. There are different types of Prayashchit.
- Alochana Prayashchit : means confess one’s mistake in the presence of Guru Bhagwant and with a pure heart.
- Pratikraman Prayashchit : to repent for the mistake that has been committed and to refrain from it, as also to remain alert that now no new mistakes are committed.
- Mishra Prayashchit : When Alochana and Pratikraman are performed together.
- Vivek Prayaschhit : When forbidden food or drink happens to have been received and the fact comes to light, then to discard these food and drink with proper system as prescribed by the Lord.
- Karyotsarg Prayashchit : To regret the mistake committed, one adopts concentration and gives up the operations of body and speech.
- Tap PrayaPrayashchitschhit : To regret for the mistake committed, one performs external austerities like Anasan etc.
- Chheda Prayashchit : Corresponding to the gravity of the offence committed, the reckoned period of monkshood is reduced by a day, a fortnight, a month or a year.
- Mool Prayashchit : On account of violation, the adopted vratas are deemed to be forfeited
- Anavsthapya Prayaschhit : He will not take Mahavrat, unless he does Prayaschhit for his wrong deeds.
- Paranchit Prayaschhit : One cannot come back to the Gutchh, unless he does Maha-shasan prabhavana for his wrong deed.
2] Vinay
Vinay is said to be the root of religion. Vinay is the quality of humility, politeness, and humbleness. Vinay also means to have no ego. There are four types of Vinay:
- Gyaan Vinay — One should be humble and respectful to those who are superior in knowledge and wisdom.
- Darshan Vinay — One should be humble and respectful to those who have acquired the true insight of religious principles.
- Charitra Vinay — One should be humble and respectful to those who have good morals and follow religious principles.
- Mann Vinay — One should pay respect and be humble to all saints who help others in their spiritual uplift.
3] Vaiyavrutya
To give service to Panch Parmeshthi, Tapasvi, Shravak/Shravika, Sangh. For example, to serve food to Sadhu/Sadhvi so that they can continue following Panch-Mahavrat to improve their spiritual journey. Serving food to Sadhu/Sadhvi helps us get Lokottar Punya. Lokottar Punya is a type of Punya which helps in future to practise religion, or get guidance of a guru, or get guidance of Tirthankar.
4] Swadhyaay
Swadhyaay means self-sudy. In this tap, one should study religious scriptures, revise learned scriptures, think about how to apply learned knowledge, and preach the learnings to others. Doing swadhyay also helps in accumulating Lokottar Punya
5] Dhyaan Tap
Dhyaan means concentrating on thought. There are four types of dhyaan:
- Artta Dhyaan(Sorrowful Meditation): Artta means pain. Artta dhyaan means concentrating on Sorrowful thoughts to attain material like concentrating on buying a house and if not bought then will be sorrowful
- Roudra Dhyaan(Wrathful Meditation): Raudra means cruel, harsh Roudra Dhyaan means concentrating on thoughts which are cruel like taking revenge from someone for the bad that they did to you
- Dharma Dhyaan(Righteous Meditation): Dharma dhyaan means to concentrate on religious thought like how to destroy karmas, doing confession.
- Shukla Dhyaan(Pure,Spiritual Meditation): Shukla dhyaan means to concentrate on the thought that the soul and body are different and try experiencing that thought.
While doing this tap, one should always do Dharma and Shukla Dhyaan because they destroy karmas. If this tap is done with Artta Dhyaan and Roudra Dhyaan, then it accumulates karmas.
5] Kausagg Tap
Kausagg means the abandonment of the body. This is a meditation process where one steadies the body in a comfortable position and concentrates on one’s breathing for a certain amount of time maintaining the position. This is done in efforts to realise/experience the knowledge that the soul is different from the body. This process can be said to remove the soul from one’s body, to get closer to the soul.
Kausagg can be considered as doing Shukla Dhyaan with maintaining a posture preferably a yogic posture. Maintaining posture is important to achieve steadiness in the body. Steadiness is important because it is the nature of the soul.