Jain Lesson II

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: Diwakar Prakashan

Page 37

They have given up the comforts of life, and have adopted a very simple life style. Monks who wear only white clothes are called Svetamber Sadhus. Those who have given up all clothes are called Digamber Sādhus. The nuns in both group always wear white clothes.
Sadhus and sādhvis walk barefooted and do not travel by car, train, plane or any other type of vehicle. They don't live in one place, they move from place to place to live. However, they do not travel before sunrise, after sunset or while it is raining.
For food, sādhus and sādhvis go to different houses accepting very little food from each hosue. They do not accept any food which was made especially only for them. They accept food that was cooked for the householders' consumption. They can not accept any raw green vegetables. Svetamber monks keep a set of wooden bowls to accept food in while Digamber monks eat the food offered to them out of their own hands. Svetamber monks eat twice a day. They only drink boiled water. Except for boiled water, they do not consume anything between meals. They never eat or drink before sunrise or after sunset. Digamber monks eat and drink only once a day and from only one house. Many monks and nuns observe austerities by fasting.
Monks do not touch any females and nuns do not touch any males. Those monks and nuns who wear clothes, keep only two or three plain white clothes. Some monks wear a white cloth (Muhapati) covering their mouth, some hold it in their hands, while others do not use a Muhapati at all. Some keep Rajoharan (a small broom made of fine threads) to clean the area around them. Others keep a small broom made of
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