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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
245 recovery. They were allowed to extend their stay for ten or fifteen days more, if necessary. 171
Trouble from Robbers:
If, while searching for a proper residence for the rainy season, members of the advance party were kidnapped by thieves, then the monks wrote some letters on the road (akkhara), or purposely scattered their garments (parisādana) so as to give a clue to those who searched them afterwards 172 Water-travel:
In cases of emergency or unavoidable circumstances, a monk was allowed to go through water. While doing so, however, he was first to choose to cross over with the help of firm stones kept in the water. If such a device was not available then he first wiped his feet and then entered water. He crossed the way either through water flowing over stones, or flowing with a little amount of mud (mahusittha), or over sand (vāluā) or over thick mud (kaddama). He was to choose the way in the order given above.173
If the water was navel-deep (nābhipramāņa), then he followed the laymen. The water containing animals, etc. compelled him to walk in between householders, and he tightened his colapatta in order to avoid it flowing away with the force of the water. There being no householder whose help could be taken, he tested the depth of the water by means of a stick called Nālikā which was four angulas more in height than his own. Then binding all his requisites together, with the mouths of the begging bowl and other utensils downwards (adhomukha) and the latter too bound with a piece of cloth (cira) so as to become his support, he crossed the water.
Coming out, he stood at the bank till the colapattaka stopped dripping water. In case the place was full of trouble (sabhaya), he went to some other place by holding the cloth in his hand and did not allow it to touch the body due to the fear of killing the water-bodies (sarīrakstāpkāyavirādhanābhayāt).174
While travelling in a boat, he did not get into it first but did so when some people had already entered it. Having done the 'pratyākhyāna', he sat neither at the front nor in the middle, nor in the passage. But he occupied one of the side portions (pāsa) of the boat and indulged in the 'ņamokkāra.' At the time of getting down also he got down in between some people, i.e.,
171. Ibid., 165. 172. Ibid., 247. 173. Ibid., 32-33. 174. Ibid., 35-36.
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