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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
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completing his studies. At the same time due consideration was shown to age by this rule, and the superiors who deliberately confirmed (uvatthāvana) the younger person earlier than the older, even though both had completed their studies, had to undergo the punishment of 'cheda' or 'parihāra.'65
If two monks of different 'paryāyas' wandered together and if the monk with greater paryāya had no disciples while the other with less paryāya had, then the latter with his disciples had to remain under the control of the former who had greater paryāya to his credit.66
If both had disciples, then also, those of less paryāya had to remain under the authority of him who had greater paryāya. In the case of the disciples of the monk of greater paryāya, however, remaining under the authority of another guru of lesser paryāya than their own was not compulsory. 67
No two monks or officers of the Church, of equal paryāya were allowed to stay together as equals or as companions. The difference between authority based on paryāya was to be observed compulsorily by a pair of either monks or officers,68 in order to facilitate the smooth working of the Church and in order to avoid the conflict of age and learning regarding seniority, and the Church showed keen foresight, knowledge of psychological factors and wisdom in these rules.
Inspite of these rules of seniority, the ācārya was allowed to appoint his successor if the former was seriously ill, or had entered householdship again. But in order to have no occasion for favouritism by which there was a chance of unfit persons stepping into the office, the rest of the monks were given supreme powers to ask the newly appointed successor to quit office if they thought that he was unfit for the post. If he relinquished the office, well and good; then he was not to undergo any punishment for that. But, if inspite of the request of the rest of the monks, he persisted to hold on, then that person had to undergo 'cheda' or 'parihāra'.69 Thus, it may be said that the working of the Church was based on purely democratic lines even in the modern sense of the term.
Beside such cases of compelling a person to quit office, normally also various officers had to undergo suspension for transgressions committed. We have already seen that if a monk after leaving his gana committed an offence against celibacy, then he was suspended for three years and he was
65. Ibid., 4, 15; also see Appendix 1. 66. Ibid., 4, 24. 67. Ibid., 4, 25. 68. Ibid., 4, 26-32. 69. Ibid., 4, 13-14.
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