Pravachanasara

SR No.: 003289
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: A N Upadhye
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram
Publication Year: 1964
Total Pages: 612
Language: Hindi, Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 16 MB

Page 124

Introduction
e) Monastic aspect of Pravacanasāra AN IDEAL JAINA MONK.-The third book of Pravacanasāra gives a good picture of an ideal Jaina monk who has adopted asceticism to get rid of the misery of samsāra. His twofold emblems impose on him internal and external purity. Absolute non-attachment is the motto of a monk, and the details of his duties are all deduced from this virtue. The Jaina monk is indifferent towards the world, though he bears no hatred towards it; the worldly ends of power, fame and wealth for which men strive in sweating competition are of no importance to him. The twentyeight Mūlagunas comprise his course of conduct: he observes five vows; he is careful in his fivefold activities; he fully controls his five senses; he observes six essential duties; he pulls out his hair periodically; he remains naked; he does not take bath; he sleeps on the ground; he does not cleanse his teeth; he takes his meals in a standing posture; and he takes only one pure meal a day. He takes all possible precaution not to violate these Mūlaguņas; and in case he violates them, he duly approaches his teacher, reports and confesses the sin, and adopts the lustral course. Negligence is his greatest enemy, so he keeps himself constantly alert. Not only he has no attachment at all, but he is absolutely indifferent to the world and its allurements. He keeps almost no paraphernalia. He spends his time in studying the scripture and in the practice of penancial courses and primary virtues. He eats little, only once, and that too when it is duly offered to him; and there is no consideration for juices. Any food which involves harm unto living beings is absolutely forbidden. His eye is set on liberation; so he constantly struggles to maintain a pure attitude of mind, and cultivates faith, knowledge and discipline. He keeps company with superior monks or (p. 96:] with monks of equal merits, 1 and observes all respectful formalities towards an elderly monk. His preachings and all other activities are in the very interest of his spiritual advancement. Being a Nirgrantha he practises no profession. The rigorous type of Nirgrantha asceticism is not prescribed for women because of their natural disabilities. Women are not excluded from entering the order; but the ascetic emblem of nuns is more moderate and less rigorous than the one prescribed for monks.
CRITICAL REMARKS ON SOME JAINA ASCETIC PRACTICES.-It must be noted that we do not see any reference to four stages of life; there are only two stages here: the first, that of a house-holder, and the second, that of a monk; and it is with the latter's duties that Pravacanasāra is concerned. The outline of duties of a Jaina monk here is very sketchy, but all the fundamentals are given, and the details, which are found in special texts like Mulācāra etc., are simply implied. Most of these details are natural deductions from certain fundamental rules of conduct
Vol. 30. 6. Asking some queries on certain issues about the Jaina and Buddhistic conceptions of soul, Ananda Kausalyayana, Berlin, writes in Jaina Gazette Vol. 30, II "Mr. Upadhya's survey of Vedic, Brahmanic, Upanisadic and Buddha-Jaina thought-currents would do credit to any writer on this subject, and his stress on the suggestion that the Aryan thought-current received some impetus from the indigenous non-Vedic thoughtcurrent is of great importance". I have dicussed this very subject in more details in my
essay on the Jaina Karma Doctrine which is awaiting publication. 1 Compare Dasaveyāliya, XII, 9-10.