Jain Journal 1978 01

SR No.: 520049
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1978
Total Pages: 36
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 2 MB

Page 31

JANUARY, 1978
107
are relatively bald-headed as the entire monastic authority is controlled by the Sanghapatis (i.e. Seths) 68 with their financial strength and power. That is to say, the position of the Acaryas of modern Jaina Sanghas has declined as a result of monastic capitalismo, although they are the tutelar crownless heads of the Sanghas, (8) modern Jaina Sangha's iudiciary powers for awarding prāyascitta (punishment or atonement) to a guilty monk project a little, if at all, beyond the line of the other powers of the Acarya, (9) a modern Jaina Sangha has instruments of power no doubt with errect posture to enforce monastic discipline and regulate the ascetic life, (10) but its legs are longer than the arms to execute monastic discipline in the order because of some handicaps placed by the Sanghapatis and the entire Sangha 70. So it has advantage as well as disadvantage in monastic life for a monk. No Jaina Sangha or gana or gaccha of the mediaeval period resembles modern Jaina Sangha or gana or gaccha respectively in all monastic traits, for instance, Vatagaccha 0. Tapagaccha has its different monastic organic features more like modern Sanghas than those of any other Sanghas or gacchas, but Lonkagaccha or Sthanakvasin or Terapanthin sect of modern period has its own monastic organic features?1 the most like modern Jaina Sanghas or gacchas. Tapagaccha is the only gaccha to have the large number of monastic organs that a modern Jaina Sangha has72. It has also high head.--Acarya of the order, while other gacchas like Lonkagaccha, etc. most closely resemble modern Jaina Sanghas in their different monastic organic features with respect to any monastic organic structure ; the difference between modern Jaina Sanghas and that of the mediaeval period is less than the difference between any of these Sanghas.
68 At present the rich householders-Sanghapatis (Seths) control the main
power of the modern Sanghas with the growth of trusteesip, not the Acaryas, the spiritual heads, for the Jaina monks have become too much dependent upon the Seths for their maintenance, that is why they have become a
little crownless monks. 6. If one looks into the collection of Devadravyas of the Jainas and their investment in banks and industries with interests, it is easily found that the process
breeds monastic capitalism ultimately, 70 It is now-a-days the general topic among the common Jaina laities that each
big Jaina merchant or industrialist must have one prominent Jaina monk as support of power in the Jaina society and similarly a powerful Jaina monk must have a big capitalist Jaina laity for his name and fame and ecclasiastical
power in the monastic order. 71 An enquiry into the constitution and functions of these mediaeval and modern
gacchas clearly reveals the fact of difference in their modes of ascetic life. 72 Taya-gaccha has thirteen branches, such as, Sundaragaccha, Candasiya
gaccha, Kamalakalasa-gaccha, etc. See Pattavali Samuccaya, Pt. II, p. 256.