History of Jaina Monachism

SR No.: 001727
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute
Publication Year: 1956
Total Pages: 616
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Principle, & History
File Size: 12 MB

Page 254

HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
249
Having come across a proper residence, the monks entered it either in the first or in the second quarter (poris) of the day. Then they carefully scanned and swept it clean. If it was time for begging then a pair of monks remained behind for sweeping and the rest went for begging food, 194
If, while on tour, rains began, then the monk stayed at the same place where he happened to be at that time. Staying there, he requested the physician there to protect him from idleness or dullness and asked the chief of the village to protect him. After doing this, he stayed at the house of either a layman, or a benefactor, or a prominent person in the village, or at the house of the owner of the village. Then imagining his own staff (danda) as the acarya, he performed the sämäcäri before it.195
The Period of Stay:
The period of stay at one place ceased five or ten days after the rainy season.196 The Dasaárutaskandhaniryuktil97 puts it more clearly when it says that it starts from the full moon day of aṣāḍha and ends on the tenth day of märgasirşa. This, however, was not clearly stated to the owner of the lodge and at the end of every five days the monks got the permission of stay extended by five days. Thus they pulled on for the first fifty days and for the rest of the seventy days of the rainy season they definitely told regarding it to the owner. The reason behind this was that if in cases of calamities the monks had to leave the place immediately, then the owner suspected them of telling a lie if they had already told him about their prolonged stay there definitely.198
The monks were allowed to continue their stay at the same place after the cessation of the rains, if there was profuse mud along the road or if the rains still continued.199
Corporate Life:
Nobody was allowed to remain alone in the rainy season. The ācāryopadhyāya and the gaṇāvacchedaka had to spend the 'vassäväsa' in the company of two and three other persons respectively.200
194. Ibid., 182.
195. Ibid., 113-114.
196. Nis. 2, 50; after the closure of rains: Ogha-N. 128.
197. Ibid., v. 66.
198. Dasa-N. 69-72.
199. Ibid., 62.
200. Vav. 4, 5-8.
BULL, DCRI.-32