Aspects of Jaina Monasticism

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 46

IV
THE SABALAS
or The Twenty-One Types of Monks with Tainted Conduct
MEANING
vaikkama (infringement) and atiyāra
(violation of the rule and perpetThe Prakrit expression sabala is ration of the offence). But as soon identical with the Sanskrit world śab- as he indulges in anāyāra (misconala meaning spotted or variegated. duct), he falls down from his life of Here it means a taint, blemish, cor- a monk. Here atikkama stands for ruption or infection. A monk whose the desire for some offence, vaikconduct is tainted or corrupt is also kama for the preparation for that called sabala.
offence, atiyāra for committing that In the Anguttara Nikāyal of offence, and aņāyāra for enjoying the Buddhists, the terms khandakāri that offence and addiction to it.3 (maker of splits), chiddakārī (maker As distinguished from the aboveof holes), sabalakārī (maker of mentioned case of mūlagunas, there taints), and kammāsakārī (maker are offences relating to the uttaraof spots) are given as the antonyms guņas (secondary rules), viz. ādhākof santatakāri (acting consistently) kama (acceptance of food prepared and santatavutti (behaving consis- for oneself), etc., which do not tently). Here sabala is obviously a make the offender fall down from person of bad conduct (dussila). his monkhood even if he passes Similarly, the negative expressions through all the four stages of the akhandāni, acchiddāni, asabalāni, offence, but makes him only sabala akammāsāni are also used in the tainted). Dĩgha Nikaya.2
Another criterion of distinguiA distinction is made between shing the sabala from the acarittī a monk who is sabala (tainted) and is that the former is the perpetraa monk who is fallen from his tor of offences that deserve only monkhood (acaritti). So far as the one of the first seven categories of mūlaguņas (basic qualifications, or Prāyaścitta (expiation) and not primary rules, viz. the five great any from the last three beginning vows, mahāvratas) are concerned, a with the müla, while the latter is monk is called tainted so long as he the doer of sins punishable with indulges himself in atikkama (trans- any of the last three prāyaścittas gression, pollution of the mind), according to their gravity.