History of Jaina Monachism

Author(s): S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute

Page 15

novel”, 41 the risken and set the lowe
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S. B. DEO hood. Hence, an order of nuns inspired with the zeal of attaining the bliss of mokşa, is altogether absent in Brāhmanism, and it, in a way, denied its Church a class of followers which are better and more faithful custodians of ancient traditions and culture than even literate men."40
More than that, this caste-bar gave rise to a wave of dissatisfaction which may be taken to be one of the factors that led to the popularity of sects like Buddhism and Jainism. Buddhist Monachism :
Inspite of the fact that, "In proclaiming a religion purely spiritual and the incapability of ceremonies to secure salvation, Buddha had not brought forward a doctrine absolutely novel”, 41 the removal of caste barriers regarding entry to the Church, did not fail to awaken and stimulate the powers, hitherto dormant and oppressed, of all, and especially of the lower classes'.42 This principle of equality of birth and of status was followed even regarding the appointment of Church officers.
Besides acknowledging this equality of birth, Buddhist monachism "broke away from past traditions and revolted against the older Vedic system of sacrifice and self-mortification”.43 Buddha himself had undergone severe bodily mortification and had lost his faith in that course 44 and in between the two extremes of bodily mortification and sense gratifications, he advocated a balanced "middle path". Thus Buddhist monachism was completely devoid of mortificatory practices unlike Brāhmanism or Jainism.
Taking resort to sobre realism based on normal rules of ethical conduct, Buddhist monachism did its best not only to organise itself with elaborate rules of monastic jurisprudence but, in its earlier phases, did everything to win over lay supporters. All opportunities of accepting invitations for meals and obtaining elaborate sanghārāmas for his monks were not avoided by the Buddha.
The Buddha seemed to have a kind of prejudice against women in the beginning and he was not willing to admit them into the order. But he, unwillingly, bowed to the insisting requests of Ananda and Mahāpajāpati Gotami and gave his consent to the creation of the order of nuns imposing
40. ALTERAR, Position of Women...., pp. 28-29. 41. A. BARTH, L.A., Vol. III, p. 330; ERE, Vol. 8, p. 797. 42. WEBER. I.A., Vol. XXX, p. 279. 43. BARUA, A History of Pre-Buddhistic Indian Philosophy, p. 242.
44. For his account of it to Säriputta as given in Majjhima-Nikaya, see Jaina Antiquary, Vol. XI, No. 1, pp. 17-18.