ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 66

3.0 Acārya Bhiksu Bhikhanii was born in A.D. 1726. His father's name was Shah Baluji and mother's name was Dipabai. He became a Sth nakav si muni in A.D. 1751 and founded Ter pantha sect in A.D. 1760. He died in A.D. 1803
In his early days as a householder, he paid reverence to idol-worshipping sect, but after some time, he left them complaining that they led a degenerated life in contravention to monastic rules. Leaving them, Bhikhana began to pay homage to the Sth nakav si ascetics. The Sth nakav sis of Marwar held c rya Raghun thji who was the head of the Sth nakay si Sangha in high esteem. According to a story current among the people of Marwar, Raghun thji told Bhikhanji, that the aspirant should be fully qualified to receive Dik$ and that he was not versed in Jaina scriptures in order to grasp the spirit of lord Mah vra's teachings and he should pursue religious studies for some time before his request for ordination could be granted. It was not a regular and systematic study of the scripts on repeatedly requesting, Raghun thji took pity and admitted him in the samgha. He observed the conduct of the monks in the observance of certain monastic rules and found fault with their food habits. Taking courage, he criticized Raghun thji and the monks for their loose conduct. He even began to publicly criticize them for their laxity in conduct.
Raghun thji initiated Bhikhanji. He remained with his guru for about eight years but Bhikhanji found that the monks were not living their lives according to the code and were not preaching the principles of Jainism correctly. He discussed the matter with Raghun thji seriously, but the latter did not pay proper attention and due consideration to the request of Bhikhanji. He put forward the excuse that as it was the Duşama K la and Pancama ra. It is impossible to lead life of a true monk. Bhikhanji, unsatisfied with the answer, left his Guru, in the town of Bagdi in Marwar State (Rajasthan).
Agreeing with Lonk, who protested against the religious practice of offering worship to the images, Bhikṣu contented that the c ryas of the Middle Ages wrote commentaries in which they interpolated the principles of image worship and devotional religion as a means of self purification on the path of salvation. The cryas also interpolated in the commentaries their own views on benevolence emphasizing the worth of charity and social service as indispensable acts for the accumulation of punya or merit leading to a higher spiritual life. Bhikhana asserted that charity and social service are not helpful to the path of freedom.
3.1 Literature Unlike Lonkā, Bhiksu has lot of literary work to his credit. His works are also available to us. He has written a treatise on nine tattvas, a poem on anuka p on day, d na, ahis, on the conduct of the monks etc.
Bhikhanji in his book,"Cr-ri-copp yi" has strongly criticized the food habits of Sth nakav si monks. According to him, many of them, especially the senior monks consumed excessive quantities of food ignoring the needs of other monks who were junior to them. The monks, who distributed food, discriminated between the recipients. Bhikhanji's primary charge against the monks was that they ate excessive food and undertook fasts with the single objective of enjoying delicious food, which they got from laymen.
V.G. Nair, a critique of Bhiksu, in his book "Jainism and Ter panthism" says "Bhikhanji's allegation goes to show that he was not probably given sufficient quantity of food to appease his hunger either because of the less quantity of alms which the sadhus could collect from lay devotees in consequences of the food famine that prevailed in Marwar or it may be that Bhikhanji was deprived of a portion of his legitimate share in punishment for his reactionary views on Jainism and his outburst against the sa gha. It seems that the problem of discriminated food distribution among the sadhus was the primary cause of his revolt and departure from the sth naka."
Muni Nathamal (presently known as C rya Mah prajña) in his book c rya Bhiksu: The Man and His Philosophy writes "neither Raghun thji nor Bhikşu ever imagined that the Jain tradition would add a new sect to it. It was not a matter of any debate between the teacher and the taught. Bhikşu had
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0