Agam 30 Prakirnak 07 Gacchachar Sutra

Author(s): D S Baya
Publisher: Agam Ahimsa Samta Evam Prakrit Samsthan

Page 54

GACCHĀCĀRA PRAKĪRŅAKA : 5
Therefore, O' Gautama! a restrained monk must identify a monastic group that is righteous and stay in it for the entire duration of his life.
3702 DESCRIPTION OF THE ĀCĀRYA-CHARACTERISTICS 8. Ācārya, the spiritual master and leader of the monastic
group must be thoroughly reliable, supportive and endowed with right vision. One must make sure of this before joining the monastic group.
9.
O' Venerable one ! how can an ordinary monk know as to which Ācārya is on the wrong path? O’ monk ! pray listen to me about this.
10–11. The Ācāryas who follow arbitrary conduct, are
unrighteous, engaged in violent activities, are comfort loving and are careless in preserving water-borne life, who have deviated from their primary and secondary virtues, who do not follow the rules of monastic life properly, who do not confess and repent for their excesses and transgressions every day and who are always engaged in spiritually useless talk are said to be on the wrong path.
12.
Even for the master endowed with thirty-six virtues of an Ācārya it is best to confess and repent for his excesses and transgressions in front of other members of the monastic group every day.
13.
As a skil'ed physician also consults another doctor for his ailments and takes treatment according to his advice, so a skilled Acārya, too, must confess his faults and flaws in front of another Acārya and atone according to the expiation awarded by the other.