Just as Muni remains alert in his each and every activity, similarly military men also remain alert in their activities. There is parity in some of their activities. Some of such points ,are given below-
1. Food, 2. Practice, 3. Secret deliberation / consultation, 4. Where to move, 5. Away from public contact, 6. Protecting from enemies, 7. Duty, 8. Road, 9. Change of place, 10. Obedience to orders, 11. Do not rebel, 12. Do not afraid of death, 13. They are ready to be beheaded but can not submit (bow their head), 14. Hardness in activities, 15. Taking food as is available, 16. Non-gain, 17. Solitary habitation penance, 18. penance of enduring physical sufferings.
1. Food - Limited food is provided in Military, similarly Muni also take limited food because taking food in much quantity results in negligence & laziness. Military men do not take food here and there, they get food of good quality from the government, similarly Muni also take pure, proper and fit to be eaten food in the house of a good Shravak.
2. Practice - Just as there is continuous practice in Military so that there may be victory in the war and also used to use vehicles so that they may not get jammed, similarly Muni used to endure calamity and afflictions and if there are no calamity & affliction they practice twelve penance so that they may get victory at the time of holy death (Sallekhna), i.e. the Samadhi /Sallekhna may be concluded successfully without any transgression because if the ascetic path is like a temple then Samadhi is like a Kalasha (pinnacle) on the temple. The temple is incomplete without the Kalash and the penance is incomplete without Samadhi.
3. Secret delibration - Secret thing/information related to Military are not disclosed to any body, similarly Muni do not disclose any thing directed by Acharya on asking by the Shravakas because many time much difficulty/ trouble is faced on such disclosure. Suppose Acharya Shri directed that Chaturmas ,i.e. rainy season stay is to be done in any one place out of the three mentioned. Muni Maharaj will not tell Shravakas as to where the rainy season stay is to take place, they themselves would decide.
4. Where to go - Where the Military train is going ? asking so, Military men say, they do not know, similary Muni Maharaj do not say where they are going, many times the road is changed in midway.
5. Away from public contact - Military men are kept aloof from public contact, If they involve in public contact then they can not do their duty correctly, similarly Acharya Kunkund Swami has directed Muni in the Pravachansar treatise not to have public contact.
6. Protection from enemies - Just as Military men defend their country from the enemies living in the boundary of the country, similarly Muni also protect, the soul (country) from enemies. Here the word enemies denote anger, pride, deceit, greed and Karma, etc.
7. Duty - If the soldier does not remain on duty during his working hours, then he is punished. Here punishment means physical punishment, similarly it is the duty of the Muni to perform Pratikraman (repentence), Samayika (attitude of equanimity), Vandna (eulogical prayers),etc. essentials at proper time indispensably otherwise he is given punishment in the form of Prayaschit (expiation). The Muni is also given physical punishment, not financial, such as fasting, reduced died, renunciation of tastes / savours, meditative relaxation (Kayotsarga),etc.
8. Road - There is separate road for Military, similarly Muni often look for unmetalled road. There are no mile-stones on the roads of jungle, similary Military roads are also without milestones.
9. Change of place - Just as Muni do not remain in one place for long, similary there is division of time of the Military men for staying - they live in hot areas for 3 years, in cold areas for 3 years, again 3 years in the area of peace and 3 years in the battle-field ,i.e. war infested area for three years.
10. Obedience to order - The soldier has to obey the order of the commander whatever may be the situation, similarly the Muni also moves as per orders of the commander (i.e. Guru). At a few odd places they are required to stay for months together and some times they are required to move 40 kilometers a day.
11. Do not rebel - Soldiers never rebel, similary Muni also do not rebel, i.e. they keep canon & Guru before them, i.e. act according to the rules of canon and orders of the Guru (Acharya).
12. Do not afraid of death - Soldiers do not afraid of death on the other hand, in case of death their funeral rite is preformed with full state-honour, similarly Muni also do not fear death, they also remain ready for holy death (Samadhi) and after Samadhi Maran (Holy death), the bier is not prepared but their funeral rite is performed with full state honour (getting the dead body seated in the specially prepared palanquin).
13. They are ready to be beheaded but can not submit - Soldiers can not submit to enemies, i.e. they are ready to be beheaded but will never bow before enemy, similarly Muni can not submit to Karma enemies even at the cost of their life.
14. Hardness in activities - Soldiers do not do even general work at ease. One day one vehicle of the military arrived on a furniture shop the screw is yet to be tightened in the furniture and the mechanic was not on the shop. Commander asked the soldier to tight the screw and gave him tools. The soldiers began to tighten the screw without making the hole in the wood. The commander was asked why the soldiers is doing so, i.e., tightening the screw without first making hole in the wood. The commander replied that at the time of war the screw has to be tightened in the steel without making hole in that. Well, it is wood and I have not ordered to make hole in the wood. Similarly Muni observe their activities / vows with firmness. One disciple used to remain indolent during Samayika. Guru ordered him to stand up. That Muni remained in standing posture for 24 hours as the Guru did not ask him to sitdown. Muni use ash of cow dung at the time of plucking hair. Once a Muni has to do Keshlaunch and the ash was not available, hence Muni Maharaj did Keshlaunch without the ash. Many such activities they do rigorously.
15. Taking food as is available - Just as Muni take food as is available (Yathalabdha). The word Yathalabdha purports that what the Shravak offers the same they take, (i.e. they do not demand special quality or tasty food), similarly whatever food is given to soldiers from plane at the time of war, they take that very food (happily).
16. Non-gain - Many times Muni do not get food due to non-fulfilment of the resolution (Vidhi) or due to losing way while passing through the jungle, similarly many times soldiers do not get food in the times of war.
17. Penance of solitary habitation - Just as Muni sleep in solitary place for winning over sleep, squat posture, similarly soldiers also take a little sleep on gravelly soil, thorny land, uneven land ,etc.
18. Penance of enduring sufferings - Just as Muni Maharaj meditate beneath the tree in the rainy season, in the sunlight in the hot season on the bank of river in the cold season, similarly soldiers always used to endure obstacles of cold, hot and rains.
