________________
HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
313 Proper Time for Study:
The Vyavahārasūtra lays down a rule which forbids a monk from studying at odd hours (viïkitthāë kāle). On such odd occasions, monks did not study themselves but they were permitted to give reading (vāyaṇā) to others.555 Punishments were prescribed for those who studied at improper times (asajjhāie). Early morning, late evening, afternoon or mid-day (avaranha) and midnight (addharatta) were the four periods when a monk was not expected to study.556
The days on which no study was to be done are the same as those given in the Niśītha557 and the Sthānānga.558
Curriculum of Studies :
In spite of sundry details about study, the Angas and the Mülasūtras seldom give hint of a planned curriculum of studies for the new entrant to the church.
The Vyavahārasütra, on the contrary, gives a planned course of studies. According to it, no novice (khuddaga) was allowed to study the 'Āyārapakappa' (Ācāraprakalpa) before he was fully grown up (lit. before he had hair in the armpit, ‘vañjana'). Thus, it seems that regular study began only after a monk came of age. Then other texts were studied : 559 Standing as a monk
Texts to be studied : (pariyāya) : 3 years ..
Ayārapakappa. 4 years ..
Sūyagada. 5 years
Dasā, Kappa, Vavahāra. 8 years ..
Thāņa, Samavāya. 10 years
Viyahe (Bhagavatī). 11 years ..
Khuddiyāvimāṇabhattī, Mahalliyāvimānabhattī,559a Angacūliyā, Vaggacūliyā and Viyāhacūliyā.
555. Vav. 7, 10-14. 556. Nis. 19, 8-12. 557. Ibid.
558. Pp. 475b, 476a. Abhayadeva in his comm. to the Sthānanga says, "Svādhyāyo nandyādisūtravişayo vācanādih anupreksa tu na nişidhyate", i.e., the rules for 'asvädhyāya' pertain only to the Canonical texts.
559. Vav. 10, 20-33.
559a. According to SCHUBRING, 'khuddiyā Vimānapavibhattī' and 'mahalliya Vimāņapavibhatti': see, Vavahāra- und Nisiha-sutta (Leipzig, 1918), p. 36.
BULL, DCRT.-40
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
