Aspects of Jaina Monasticism

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

Page 48

16
The Sabalas
of the upāsikā named Saddhā.6 and ends in the satisfaction of the
In Jainism, as in Buddhism, the offender. sexual intercourse is one of the The above-described two offences gravestsins. But its gravity is are elaborately treated in the first reduced under special circumstances. few sūtras of the Niśitha Adhyayana If such an offence is committed and the Bhāşya and Cūrni on them. under an unavoidable necessity and This treatment has an astonishing has a strong ground and justifica- affinity with that of the relevant tion (sälamba) and is accompanied text of the Päräjika-Pāli. This affiwith utmost self-control (jayaņā) nity is certainly not accidental but and remorse, its gravity was com- presupposes a commɔn mənastic muted from that of the pārāñcika code that was prevalent in the days into the one of a śabala.
of the Buddha and Mahavira and The above-mentioned two śaba perhaps formilated in still earlier las (taints) are much discussed in times. We do not, of course, know the monastic code of the Jainas the exact nature of the language in and the Buddhists. The discussions which that common code was are sometimes carried on in written. But there is no doubt that great detail. In some cases the the language in which the above line of demarcation between offen- texts have come down to us is a ces that are to be considered as direct descendant of that common cases of sabala or acaritti is very language. thin. The principle of benefit of The expression sabila is not doubt is often applied in such cases. found in the above mentioned sense The last stage of offence, viz. of a moral taint in Brāhm inical anācāra, is the crucial test. The literature. Almost an exact definition of anācāra is difficult equivalent of it is found in the word issue. If the result of an offence is avakirņa (which is a similar offence) freely enjoyed without any com- or avakirnin (the offender). The punction, it is anācāra. The defini- word avakirņa means 'scattered' or tion paribhoge anāyāro means that 'spread over' which comes very near as soon as the offender begins to to the meaning of the word śabala relish the result of his offence he "spotted, variegated'. commits anācāra. Sometimes the We quote below Manusmrti? on word āsvādana is used in place of the subject : paribhoga. Amitagati's statement “The avakirnin shall sacrifice to "vadant yanācāramihātisaktatām" Nirsti at night, at the crossroads, (that is, the unmitigated and abso- a one-eyed ass by the ritual approlute attachment to the result of a priate to sacrifices of cooked crime is anācāra) is impressive. It food (118). is thus the psychological factor "Having offered oblations in fire, that is most important in determin- he shall finally pour oblations of ing the gravity of an offence which ghee to Vāta, Indra, the Teacher, starts with the intention and motive and Agni, with the Rk verse