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26.PRECEPTS ON CAREFULNESS (SAMITI) AND
SELF-CONTROL (GUPTI)
(A) Eight Mother Precepts.
(384) Vigilance in walk, speech,begging alms, receiving and keeping down of things and excreting are five Samitis (acts of carefulnes): control of mind, control of speech and control of body (i.e.actions) are three guptis. All are eight in number.
(385) These eight are called pravacanamātā (mother precepts).Just as a diligent mother protects her son, so they protect right knowledge,right faith and right conduct of the monk.
(386) The five types of vigilances are meant for the practice of religious life and the three controls (guptis) for the prevention of every thing sinful.
(387) Just as one who practises the gupti is not touched by defects pertaining to Samiti so also one who practises the samiti; does not have the defects of gupti. Certainly a gupti puts an act of negligence on the part of one who is undertaking an activity,to an end.
(388) The person who is careless in his activities is certainly guilty of violence irrespective of whether a living being remains alive or dies; on the other hand, the person who is careful in observing the samitis experiences no karmic bondage simply because some killing has not taken place in connection with his activities.
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