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HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
345
by means of his hands or feet-then, under any of these circumstances, he had to go without food on that day.692
It may be noted that there was nothing wrong in these rules as most of them were connected with the purity of food as well as with the perfect practice of ahiṁsā. The touching by hand or foot the ground or portions below the knees was likely to make the hands dirty as well as contaminated with living beings which a monk was liable to injure. Other reasons like the burning of the village, or seeing somebody crying, etc. were suggestive of sorrow and it was likely to create hatred about the monk in the mind of the people if he sought to beg food on such occasions. Thus a combination of the principal tenets of the religion with the decorum of social etiquette may be said to be at the back of these rules. It may also be noted that
entering the Cāņdāla homestead was not accepted by the society and the monk also had to justify it on the grounds of purity.
Besides these, if the monk was touched by the Cāņdāla, or if there was death of a brother-monk, or if somebody left monk life or if a prominent personality died, then also the monk went without food. So also if there was trouble from the king or condemnation by the people, then under these circumstances, the monk did not take food.
DAILY ROUTINE:
Besides the important item of begging food, the monk's daily routine was spent mostly in study and meditation.
At sunrise he got up and paid homage to the five dignitaries. Then, carrying on studies for some time, he went to ease nature, and, washing his feet and carefully scanning his requisites, he went to pay respect to the Jina. After that he went on the begging tour when he was sure that the time of childrens' meals was over. Then, visiting the families irrespective of their economic position but avoiding the places where low-caste people or persons in mourning lived and such other places which were not fit to be visited by him, he ate food at a pure house in the proper way. Then washing his hands, feet and mouth and drinking water, he left the place and went to the Jina temple and confessed the faults, if any, committed by him. He took no night meals and hence slept after study and meditation.693
692. Ibid., 6, 76-82.
693. Ibid., comm. pt. I, pp. 261-2. BULL. DCRL-44
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