Jain Thought and Culture

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 22

Jain Thought and Culture
ttae), from this day he would not allow his hair grow longer than cow-hair and cvery half-month it would be alternately cut he scissors or removed by shaving It appears that in the very beginning of one becoming a monk the act of learing off five handful of hair (pamca. mutthi loya) was done 30 Such a person was called seha (disciple)
In both the Orders a period of probation was prescribed before the Samgha was satisfied to conser on the applicant the cherished position of monkhood in the Buddhist Samgha, in the beginning, the initiation of the entrant to the Order (pavajja) and his confirmation (upasampada) as a mionh took place simullancously, but later on an intermediary gap was introduced as a period of watch and vigil over the candidate 31 The confirmation (upasampada) was to be separately requested to and obtained by the Samgha, claborate rules were made lest an undesirable element might be confirmed as a monk In the same way, the Jaina novice, too, had to undergo a period of probation atleast for a week or for six months, on average, this period used to be of four months 32 During this period he would try to adopt the life and ways of a true monk and thus finally qualify for confirmation after taking the requisite vows (uvatthavana) 33 During the period of probation the novice would be entrusted with some competent monk who would act for him as the chief instructor (called acarya or upadhyaya in both the cases) Some Common Institutional Observances : Uposatha and Varsavasa .
From the Pali Vinaya of the Buddhists it is revealed that a ceremony called uposalnu (Skt Upavasatha) had been common among the religious sects from an age-old time, a study of the Vedic literature attests its antiquity The New-moon and Full-moon days were considered quite sacred as far back as the Vedic times and Darsa and Purnamasas acrifices were performed ont hese days Giving an explanation of the word upavasatha the Satapatha Brahmana relates a
periodo me th different sectations can be infer
30 Ayaran gasutra. Jaina Sutras. Pt I. SBE. Vol XXII. P 199 in the case of Maha. vira adopting ascetic life Sce Schrubing, op cit, P 250 31 The Buddhist Pali Vinaua does not specify the duration of the probationary period in the normal cases It however. savs (Mahavagga, p 73) that 11 a follower of some different sect desired admission. he had to be on probation for our months, hereby this duration can be inferred to have been of four months, as was the case with the Jainas also 32 Sthananga, op cit Vol II, p 23 33 Ibid