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XIV
MONKS' PROPER CONDUCT
'Kalpa' means morality, good conduct, self-imposed limitations and the proper way of doing things. What invigorates knowledge, conduct as also penance and eschews demerits is ‘Kalpa' from the essential standpoint. Here are its ten varieties:
(1) Acelakya - ' Acela' means no cloth or scanty cloth. The monks are of two kinds-Jina and Sthavira. The former are of strong bones and robust constitution, readers of at least the third treatise of nine 'Purvas, i.e. earlier sacred texts and at most, readers of scriptures of a little less than ten 'Purvas'. One has to belong to the second kind before one is entitled to be the first one. The first are naked. They observe various self-imposed restrictions with dogged tenacity.They are of two kinds. :
(1) Panipātra i.e. they take food placing it on the palm of their hands.
(2) Pātradhārī i.e. those who use some utensils while eating.
The first are again of four kinds from the stand point of implements they keep to themselves. Many monks keep only filter for the mouth and a broom. Others keep also a bed-sheel. Some others keep even three sheets. The number of utensils also differs.
Those who are old, scholarly and not sky-clad keep three cloths and one or two pots and one piece of cloth or two pots and a single piece of cloth. Others have only one of each. But all classes of monks keep at least a respirator and a broom.
"Kalpasamarthana' says that the first and the last founders were sky-clad and that the intervening twenty-two founders of Faith were both clothed and not clothed. The first and last used white and sparse clothing. Others, even when they put on glittering clothes, were never attached to them.
In Uttarādhyayana sūtra' there is a revealing conversation between Kesikamātā and Gautama who were the disciples of Pãrasanātha and Mahavira respectively. The question related to white-led and sky-clothed monks. Gautama's reply was that the externals are merely for recongnition and identification. In the fundamentals there is no disagreement.
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