________________
HISTORY OF JAINA MONACHISM
439 order. The policy of saluting even the 'pārsvasthas' (persons of lax discipline) was advocated in case it was likely to prove beneficial to the gaccha. The sangha could commute the punishment of a person if he was likely to be of help in pacifying the king.
(4) The monks were allowed, under certain circumstances, to dethrone a king and install another in his place if he was very wicked, and if the circumstances were favourable to the monks. The willing disciples of the Buddhists were allowed to be kidnapped only after taking into consideration the latter's influence on the society residing in a particular region.
(5) Moral standard of the monks seemed to have remained high, even though we find that instances, like those cited in connection with the 'gulikā' and 'kholla', suggest the view that even a lie may be told to prevent a disciple from going astray.
(6) Royal patronage as in the case of Hemacandra was very well manipulated by the Jaina monks who made use of it to the utmost in spreading their religion.
(7) In later days, some of the officers of the hierarchy lost their importance, and only the ācārya or sūri, upādhyāya and vācaka retained their prominence. Inspite of the fact that a high standard of academic, administrative and of general knowledge of the social environments was required for the posts, the various elements getting into the Church may be said to have resulted in a very uneven formation of the monk order.
(8) Along with the spread of the Church, the monks retained their contact more or less with a particular region which resulted in the formation of various gacchas on regional basis. Minor differences of practice and personal aspirations also led to the formation of certain gacchas,
(9) The monk living in a wider sphere of society replete with new ideas, had to resort to various activities like the creation of the Bhāndāras, arranging religious congregations and educational institutions, and publishing and writing of new books, at the same time maintaining a high standard of monastic life.
(10) The constant touch with the laity by the monks acted as a double check. There was mutual watch over one another, and the conscious laity exercised its rights against lax monks, as we have already seen.
(11) There was a clear-cut bifurcation of the two sects which are referred to freely as the Digambaras and the Svetāmbaras in the literature of this phase.
THE STHANAKAVASIN SECT:
We have up till now seen the reaction of the social conditions on the Svetāmbara monastic practices, wherever it was possible to do so.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
