Aspects of Jaina Monasticism

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

Page 99

Jina-Kalpa 67
no such stage in the times of the study of any new scripture, but the other tīrtharkaras. It is inter- properly retains his memory of the esting to note in this connection previously studied scripture intact, that in the Buddhist monastic orga- in order to preserve the balance nization, there are similar stages and steadiness of his mind.174 known as pabbajjā and upasampa
(7) Veda (Sex): The aspirant da 169 the latter corresponding to must be a male or possessed of an uvatthāna (or chedo pasthāpanīya) of
unafflicted neutral sex, the female Mahāvīra.
sex thus being excluded. During Apart from the question of
the practice of the Victor's Course, adoption of the Victor's Course,
he remains either possessed of the there is the issue of the higher sta- sex (saveda) or can become sexless ges called sükşma-samparāya and
(aveda)175 on the achievement of yathākhyāta of the ladder of subsi-
f subsi- the higher spiritual state (i.e., the
the dence170 (upasamaśreni).171 The
ninth gunasthāna) in the ladder of aspirant to the Victor's Course, it subsidence (upaśama-śreni). should be noted in this connection, (8) Kalpa (Practice), compulsory cannot ascend the 'ladder of destruc
(sthita) or optional (asthita) : There tion' (kşapaka-śreni) which is possi
are 10 practices (kalpa) which are ble only for the practitioner of the
to be compulsorily followed by the Elder's Course.
monastic Orders of the first and the (4) Tirtha (Religious Reign) :
last tirthankaras. Some of these The Victor's Course is possible
practices are, however, optionally only during the currency of the reli
observed by the followers of the gious rule established by a tirthan
remaining twenty-two tīriharkakara. It cannot be possible either
ras.176 But as the practitioners of before the advent of such rule or
the Victor's Course can belong to after its extinction. 172
the Orders of all the tirthankras (5) Par yaya (Standing): It is two
they fall under both the categories, fold: (i) grhi-paryāya 'the length of
viz. those observing the practices householder's life'; and (ii) yati
compulsorily or those doing so opparyāya 'the length of monastic life'.
tionally, according as they belong The former is identical with janma
to the Orders of the particular tīrparyāya, because it is calculated
thankara, 277 from the date of birth. The aspirant's age must be 29 in the minimum 173 (9) Linga (Monastic Equipmentand his minimum monastic standing Physical and Spiritual): So far as must be 20. Thus calculated, if a the physical equipments (dravyaperson gets ordination at the age linga, such as robe, pots, broom, of 9, he has to wait at least for 20 etc.) are concerned, the practitioner years for adopting the Victor's may or may not be possessed of Course.
them, but he is necessarily posse(6) Agama (Scriptural Study): ssed of the spiritual equipment. The aspirant does not undertake bhāva linga, such as the mahāvra