Introduction to Jaina Sadhna

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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16: An Introduction to Jaina Sadhana
of committing sins or violating his vows. But Mahavira made repentance a daily-duty. A monk must repent every morning and evening irrespective of, whether he commits the sin and violates his vows or not. In Sūtrakṛtānga, Bhagavati and other canonical works of Mahavira's tradition, it is mentioned as sapratikramaṇa dharma.
3. Pārśva did not advocate complete nakedness for monks instead he allowed one or two clothes for monks, while Mahāvira made nudity a must for monk and so Mahāvira's tradition is known as Acela-dharma. In commentaries of
Uttaradhyayana we find that Parsva allowed his Śramanas to wear the costly and colourful dress but we have no early textual support for it.
Besides, above three major distinctive features between the code of conduct of Pārśva and that of Mahāvira, some minor differences also are found, as follows:
4. In Parsva tradition a monk could accept the invitation for food and was also allowed to take the food, prepared for him, but for that of Mahavira it was strictly prohibited. In other words, in Mahāvira's tradition a monk could neither accept the invitation for food nor could take that food prepared for him.
5. Pārśva allowed his monks to accept the meals prepared for the king, while Mahāvira prohibited this also.
6. In Mahavira's tradition it is essential for the monk to keep on moving from one place to another. Except in rainy season he should not stay at one place for more than one month. But according to Pārsva tradition a monk could stay at one place so long as he wishes. In short, to keep on moving was essential in Mahāvira's tradition, but it was optional in Pārsva's tradition.
7. Mahavira stressed that a monk should stay at one