Twelve ascetic practices 十二苦行
Twelve ascetic practices (Wyl. sbyangs pa'i yon tan bcu gnyis; Skt. pāṃśadhūtaguṇa) — twelve practices of conduct pertaining to the shravaka yana that avoid the two extreme forms of lifestyle, over-indulgence in sense pleasures[1] and excessive self-punishment. They are:[2]
- Wearing clothes found in a dust heap,
- owning only three robes,
- wearing felt or woolen clothes,
- begging for food,
- eating one’s meal at a single sitting,
- restricting the quantity of food,
- staying in isolation,
- sitting under trees,
- sitting in exposed places,
- sitting in charnel grounds,
- sitting even during sleep, and
- staying wherever one happens to be.
