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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
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the monk was allowed to go abegging for the second round. For the sake of his ācārya, or for the ill or for the junior, he was allowed not only to beg many times but even at odd times.526
The Return;
The monks went in pairs (samghādaga) for seeking food and some were left behind in the monastery to look after the requisites.
Before the return of the monks, those who were left behind kept ready jars (bhāyaṇa) full of strained water. With that amount of water the ācārya and the newly ordained novice washed their feet with it after their return. The maximum number of pots that was to be kept ready was four and it was adjusted with the number of monks in a 'gaccha'. In order to save the water from dust or other small living beings, it was strained either with a bamboo basket (chabbaä : comm. vamsapitaka), or with the nest of a bird (sakunigrhakena ?).527 After doing it, the monks in the monastery studied till the rest of the party arrived.
The returning monks wiped their feet outside the monastery, performed the threefold ‘nisihiyā', saluted their guru, scanned their own places, and deposited the staff and other requisites there.528 After that, they did 'ālocana', showed their alms to the guru, wiped their own heads with the mouthpiece, and cleaned the pot. Then they recited at least three gāthās.
If a monk belonged to a particular ‘mandali' (group of monks), then he waited till the rest of the party arrived and then ate food with them. If, however, he did not belong to any 'mandali', then he showed the food to the guru and, after seeking his permission and distributing the food to guest-monks if any, ate whatever was left.529
Those who were undergoing expiatory penance, who were of loose conduct, as also those who were very young or very old took meals alone. No contact was to be kept with the person undergoing penance as punishment. The young and the old being unable to put up with pangs of hunger were allowed to take meals separately.530
While taking food, monks avoided the exit and the entrance of a place, and did not sit face to face with their guru. They were to sit at the southeastern, or north-eastern quarter from the guru. Too much distance was
526. Ogha-N. 414. 527. Ibid., 554-59. 528. Ibid., 509. 529. Ibid., 519-23. 530. Ibid., 548.
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