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 288

HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
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If the lodge given to the monk was owned by persons more than one, then the monk was not allowed to accept food from the principal owner (egam tattha kappagaṁ thavaïttā avasese nivvisejjā).413
Besides the sejjāyara, some other persons were not to be approached for alms by the monk. He was not allowed to ask persons of the royal harem to bring food, etc. for him outside the harem, or to consent to such a person to hand over his alms bowl to him so as to get it filled with food from the harem.414 It may be noted that this rule was in conformity with the regulation which disallowed a monk to eat royal food (rāyapinda).
To his relatives (näyavihirh) a monk could go only with the permission of the elders (thera), and accompanied by a well-versed monk (bahussuë babbhāgame) if he was still unripe in knowledge (appasuya appāgama). Having gone there in the company of a learned person, he was to accept only that which was cooked before his arrival (puvvägamaneṇaṁ puvvaütte),415
The monk was disallowed to seek food from those who were either starting for or returning from land, water (naï) or mountain journey (girijatta),416
Certain families which were taken to be of condemned nature (duguñchiyakuläïm) 417 were not to be approached for food. It may be noted that such families were marked out not because of their low birth or position in society, but because of their sinful activities and lax morality. This is perhaps the basis of another rule which disallowed a monk from accepting food, drink, etc. from those who were of non-vegetarians habits ('mamsakhāyaṇā', 'maccha-khāyāṇā' and 'chavikhāyāṇā'),418
Avoiding, therefore, all these people, the monk begged food at such houses the inmates of which were of normal behaviour. The devoted families. which always helped the monk (thavana kula) were to be approached frequently but not incessantly so as to tire them out. Without creating good feeling in them, without asking them, or without knowing about them anything, the monk was not allowed to approach them,419
Fit and Unfit Food:
The principal category of unfit food was that which contained living beings, or which involved the killing of living beings in its preparation. The
413. Brh.kalp. 2, 13.
414. Nis. 9, 4-5.
415. Vav. 6, 1. 416. Nis. 9, 12-17. 417. Ibid., 16, 27. 418. Ibid., 9, 10. 419. Ibid., 4, 22.