________________
Jaina Acara: Siddhanta aura Svarupa
265
and to serve them have been accorded prime place. In the morning a fresher asks the preceptor whether he is to self-study or attend to the needs of some senior monk.
Religious instruction or sermonising has rightly not been included herein because religious discourse forms part of self-study. The other reason is that not all monks were expected to deliver religious discourses. The natural interests of all were watched. Food, sleep and evacuation are necessary and so they have especially been mentioned. In the rainy season monks and nuns don't change place. In the remaining eight months also the movement was not constant for they moved and halted and moved again with refreshed energy. Hence this, too, has not been specifically mentioned. Self-study and concentration received topmost attention. Four praharas were fixed for self-study and two for concentration. There was no printing press then. As such all knowledge had to be memorised without depending on any other source.
Such time-table was meant for the steady improvement of monks. It prevented lop-sided growth. All this was necessary for the many-sided development of monks as also for sound administration.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
