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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
243
Water Journey:
The Acārānga allowed boat travel.162 But the five great rivers—Gangā, Jaüņā, Sarayū, Erāvati and Mahī,163 were not allowed to be crossed in a boat or swum twice or thrice within a month. The Chedasūtras simply repeat the rule, but go a step further in ascribing a definite punishment for violating the rule.
Getting into a boat for bad purposes, entering into or encouraging transactions of a boat, pushing it into water from the ground and vice versa, helping in taking out a grounded boat, acting as a boatman, pulling or stopping a boat by a rope, taking out water in a boat by means of a pot, covering the leakage with the hand, foot, leaves or bamboo, and carrying the boatall these were deemed faults. 164
Further details are to be obtained in the Niryuktis as will be clear from the following account.
Beginning the Tour:
Before undertaking a tour, the monk asked permission of his guru. If at that time, the guru was asleep, then the monk awakened him. But even when after awakening him, he indulged in meditation, then the monk waited till his meditation was over and then sought permission. If a monk had forgotten to take permission, then he returned and took the guru's permission before undertaking a travel.165
How to Ask the Way:
If a monk did not know the proper way, then he asked it to two gentlemen belonging to his own faith. In case they were not available, then he inquired about it of the people belonging to other sects. He had to refrain from asking the way to old people on the ground that old people are said to be generally of a forgetful nature. Children were supposed to be always of playful mood and women and eunuchs were taken to be ignorant about roads. Hence a monk was not to ask about the way to them.
The monk approached a middle-aged person (majjhima), and asked him the way. In case such a person was not available then he could approach an old person with strong memory or a youth of good nature. The same order was to be followed in cases of women and eunuchs.
162. II, 3, 1, 14 (p. 139).
163. Than, 308b; Also in Nis. 12, 42; The Brh.kalp. replaces Kosiy, in the place of Eravatī: 4, 27.
164. Nis. 18, 1-20 165. Ogha-N. 9.
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