Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

SR No.: 006567
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur
Publication Year: 1972
Total Pages: 306
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 124

.: PABBAJJA AND UPASAMPADA
103
Buddhists refused entry to a person in royal service, specially to soldiers and warriors. The Jainas even surpassed the Buddhists as they disallowed all those who were king's enemy (rāyāvagäri)", an attendant (obaddha) and servant (bhayae) 3. This favour to the kings or authorities in power was, very likely, due to the fact that the Order whether Buddhist, Jaina or any other never deemed it proper to be in enmity with them as their goodwill and piety were essential for the survival and progress of the Church.
Likewise sexual disability or deformity was also a hindrance to initiation or ordination, Both the Orders unanimously advocated that a eunuch of any type should not be ordained or should be expelled, if ordained under the pressure of the king or due to any other reason. The Buddhist sources, however, refer to a person giving an offence by any defor nity to those who happened to see him (purisadūsaka)',a eunuch (þardaka)" and a hermaphrodite (ubhatobyañjanaka)" ; and the Jaina to sixteen types of sexually defective persons (napuṁsaka), such as, eunuch (pandaka), sexually diseased (votie), timid (kiva), castrated (baddhie), etc?. All these were declared disqualified for Church life.
Old age was no less a disqualification for monkhood. So also was childhood. Originally the Buddhist Order did not confer pabbajia on a boy under fifteen years of age. This strictness was however slackened by allowing a boy less than fifteen years of age but able to scare crow (ka kuttepaka) to enter the Order.. In all cases upasampada (ordination or confirmation of the initiation) was to be conferred only on a person full twenty years of age from the time of conception in one's mother's womb. The Jaina Order however lowered the age limit for initiation to eight years. 11 It is clear from the instances of two children one receiving initiation at the age of six yearsl? and the other at the age of six months only, 13 that it was the psychological
1. MV, 1. 32. 90, pp. 77-78. 2. NisB, 3663-3669. 3. Com. to Thān, p. 105a; NisB, 3676-3680. 4. MV, 1. 62. 119, p. 94. 5. Ibid, 1. 52. 109, p. 89. 6. Ibid, 1. 59. 116, p. 92. 7. NisB, 3561-3624. 8. MV, 1. 62. 119, pp. 94-95. 9. Ibid, 1. 42. 100, p. 82. 10. Ibid, 1. 67. 124, p. 97. 11. Vav, 10. 16f; Comm. to Bhag, p. 219b; NtsB, 3510-3516, 12. Bhag, 188, p. 219b. 13. Curņi to Avas, pp. 391ff.