________________
ESA DHAMME VUSIMAO
.
91
netvā nāna-bandhanena baddha ahosi, bhisi ca ... kena ci mocetum asakkuneyyatāya ... susamkhată (Pj II 35, 2-7). Elsewhere also, the Buddha shows how the dhamma can be compared with a raft, kullapamam ... dhammam desissämi.41 In such passages, the carefully arranged layer of grass, etc., is considered a good and safe preparation in view of a difficult journey. it is fit to take the wise and well trained individual to the other shore (pāram), to the end of a dangerous crossing, at the completion of which, overcoming the flood, he will reach, and lead his followers to, an island or a safe refuge.
To conclude: it appears that Sk bțsi, "a roll of twisted grass, pad, (esp.) the seat of a religious student or of an ascetic", had several MIA counterparts. Among them, Amg bust / vusi survived as the base of a possessive adjective suffixed with -ma(nt)-. Though soon obsolete the latter is known thanks to some old canonical pādas: either in the nom. sg. vusimam, or in the gen. vusimao (with a sing. or a plur. referent).
While there is no evidence that vusimam ever denoted specifically a religious equipped with some material layer of grass or a pad, it is true that the Jaina monks were attributed different kinds of seats according to their proficiency. In any case, the canonical passages examined in the present paper show that vusimam is applied to a niggantha particularly remarkable for his self imposed discipline (busi = samyama); or, rather, originally, to a niggantha perfected in faith, knowledge and conduct.
These three ratnas of Jainism, being firmly tied together, build a sort of raft (cf. Pa bhisi), thanks to which the accomplished monk crosses to the other shore of the samsāra, and also shows his followers the safe ford leading to liberation. Thus vusimam could have been an old equivalent of tirthakrt, a "fordmaker", or a "sage".
As a matter of fact, the Buddhists make use of the same metaphor when the Buddha explains how he has had at his disposal a well built and strongly tied raft (bhisi). Thus he could overcome the flood, cross over, attain the far shore and be definitely safe. Having reached the end of his journey, he can proclaim:
c. Pa bhis the samsvusimam
"There is no need of a float. So rain, sky(-deva), if you wish". 42
