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XX: MAHĀPRATYĀKHYANA-PRAKĪRNAKA
Digambaras. The Digambara monks accept Samlekhanā when it becomes impossible for them to go about their monastic practices and peregrinations, because in this tradition the monks don't partake of the food brought by other monks. In the Svetā mbara tradition, however, the ascetics become Sthiravāsī (Staying at one place) and accept the prolonged process of Samilekhana by gradually reducing the food-intake. It is a different matter altogether that all ascetics in the Sthiravāsa don't reduce their intake of food.
The different procedures set out in the Nandi-cūrni for the two sets of monks, belonging to the Sthavira-kalpa and the Jinakalpa, seems to be quite justified from the points of view of their monastic practices. Even today the Digambara monks in some way or the other practice Jina-kalpa while those of the Svetämbara tradition are nearer to the Sthavira-kalpa. It is a different matter that the tradition of twelve year-long Samlekhanā is no longer in practice except for a few exceptions here and there. However, the practice of twelve year-long Samlekhanā has also been mentioned in the Bhagavatī-ārādhanā, a treatise of the Yāpanīya tradition of the Digambaras.' The Yāpaniya tradition even permits taking of food brought by others under exceptional circumstances. It has been clearly mentioned in the Bhagavatiārādhanā that four attending monks must bring food for the monk undertaking twelve year long Sallekhana and the other four such monks must guard that food. Thus the Yāpanīya tradition mentions both - the Sthavira kalpa as well as the Jina-kalpa.
15
Bhagavatī–ārādhanā, verse 254.
16
Ibid, verse 661-663.
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