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146
S. B. DEO
The qualifications expected of him were more of a moral nature according as they are given in the texts. According to these texts, an ācārya was a person who was endowed with the five-fold ācāra (jñānao, darśanao, căritra", tapao and viryăcāra),27 equanimity of mind, character and intellect.28 Being such a qualified person, all the members of the group under him were expected to show complete respect to him.
The Sthānānga29 refers to several types of acāryas which were as follows:
(1) those who simply initiated a person (pavvāyaṇāyarite), (2) those who confirmed a disciple (uvatthāvaņāyarië),
(3) those who did neither of the above two things, and (4) those who did both these things.
The privileges30 of an ācārya and the reasons of his leaving the gaña31 were the same as those noted in the case of the ācāryopādhyāya.
Besides these, the ācārya was a person who could manage to get the requisites needed by the members of his gana. He also protected the requisites already acquired by the gana previously.32
(g) Gani:
The commentators explain this person as one who had a gana (gano yasya astīti).33 This is, however, a very incomplete explanation, and we fail to get the qualities of a ganin which can distinguish him from an acārya. It is not clear whether he was the same person as the ācārya.34
The qualities that were expected of him were mainly of a moral nature.35 It was said that a ganin had to equip himself with the eightfold ganisampad :
(a) Ācārasampad:
(1) to be always mindful of good conduct, (2) to be devoid of pride of high birth etc.,
27. Acar. comm, pp. 4-5; Thăm, comm. p. 140a. 28. Dév. 9,16. 29. p. 239b, 240a. 30. Ibid. p. 329ab. 31. Ibid. p. 331b. 32. Ibid. p. 385b. 33. Ibid. p. 143b, 144a, 34. He is equated with the acārya: Thān. comm. p. 422b. 35. Dáv. Cú. 2, v. 9: 'bhāviyappă bahussuö'.
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