Agam 30 Prakirnak 07 Gacchachar Sutra

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

Page 90

GACCHĀCĀRA PRAKIRNAKA : 41
The monastic groups in which the nuns do not talk in terms of their pre ordination relationships such as – “she is my mother”, “she is my daughter”, “she is my daughter in law”, “I am her sister", “I am her mother”, etc – with other nuns or the members of her erstwhile family is the true monastic group.
132.
The nun who is corrupt of faith, who is corrupt of righteous conduct, who encourages falsehood and who oversteps the limitations of both – the group of monks and the group of nuns - is not a true nun.
133.
O'Gautama ! the nuns can be a cause of increase in worldly wandering, therefore, except thas religious discourse, there ought to be nothing to do with them.
134.
For a nun that quarrels in the hurting language of the householders, the most severe penance of breaking her month after month fasts with only one grain of food, is a waste. That is the benefit that accrues by such a severe penance is nothing as compared to the sin that accrues by being quarrelsome.
135.
CONCLUSION This group monastic conduct (Gacchācāra) has been quoted from the canonical works such as Mahāniśitha, Kalpasūtra, Vyavahārasūtra, etc for the benefit of the monks and the nuns.
136.
Therefore, the monks and the nuns must always study this Gacchācāra Prakīrnaka, which is an essence of the noble canonical works except at times when the scriptural study is forbidden.