Agam 26 Prakirnak 03 Maha Pacchakhana Sutra

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Agam Ahimsa Samta Evam Prakrit Samsthan

Page 20

PREFACE : XIX
viharittă ante therakappiyā bārasa-vāse sanileham karettā, Jinakappivā puna vihāreneva samlīdhā tahā vi jahājuttam sanilehani karettă nivvāgh. tam sacetthā ceva bhavacarimani paccakkhanti, etami savittharani jattha jjhayane vannijjanti tamajjhavanani Mahāpaccakkhānam /". Meaning that the text that describes, in detail, the form and practice of twelve year long Sanilekhanā (fasting penance preparatory to fast unto death) and Samādhimarana by the monks of Sthavira--kalpa and that of timely practice of Samădhimarana, at the opportune time, while going about their monastic practices, by the monks of Jina-kalpa and thereby renouncing (food etc) for life without an exception, is called Mahāpratyākhyāna?''
By this description of Mahāpratyākhyāna and thereby, that of the two different ways of adopting the end practice of embracing voluntary peaceful deaths by the two sets of monks belonging, respectively, to Sthavira-kalpa and to Jina-kalpa, it is apparent that two different procedures existed. One practice was for the monks of Sthavira-kalpa, who, when they realised that it was not possible for them to undertake their monastic peregrination, stayed at one place (sthiravāsa) and went through twelve year-long sanilekhanā in which they gradually reduced their food intake before finally accepting the vow of fast unto death. The other more rigorous practice was for the monks of Jina-kalpa, who went about their monastic peregrinations as long as possible and when it became impossible, they took the vow of fast unto death without going through the prolonged process of twelve year-long Sanilekhanā. This fact is also borne out by the practices prevalent for accepting the end-practice of Samādhimarana in the two traditions of Śvetāmbaras and the
Nandisutra Cūrni, Prākıta Texts Society, Varanasi, p. 50.