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Jaina Philosophy and Religion monk, an old monk or a sick monk. Then he should go out after covering his body with a woollen blanket or shawl. By doing so, he does not cause that much injury to waterbodied beings as does he cause without covering his body with it. Or, a monk goes out to answer call of nature, while it is raining. At that time too, he should cover his body with a woollen blanket or shawl in order to avoid injury to waterbodied beings as far as possible. (It is strictly forbidden to suppress the urge to pass urine and stools. "vacca-muttam na dharae" Daśavaikālika V. 19).
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Thus scriptures forbid, as a general rule, a monk to touch unboiled water. But they command him, as exception, to go out while it is raining, with the above-mentioned purpose in view. (And this is the only use of a woollen blanket or shawl Acārya Hemacandra has mentioned. He has mentioned no other use of it.)
Religion, or science of good conduct, commands us, as a general rule, to speak truth. But it forbids us, as exception, to speak truth, when we are asked by a hunter as to in which direction an animal has gone and there is no other way to save its life. It is our duty to speak untruth on such exceptional occasions, with the sole purpose of non-violence.' Thus general rule and exception have the same end in view.
Again, it is a general rule that a monk should not touch a woman. But when she is drowning in a river or is caught in fire or any other dangerous calamity, it becomes his duty to save her by lifting, etc., which necessarily involve touching. The purpose behind the general rule that a monk should avoid touching a woman is to help him protect his celibacy which is but a form of non-violence and hence is covered by the field of non-violence. And the exceptional touching of a woman is also meant for fostering non-violence which serves as a strong foundation of celibacy. Thus both the general rule forbidding a monk to touch a woman and the exceptional injunction commanding him to touch her aim at the same goal.
jam davva-khetta-kālāisaṁgayaṁ bhagavaya anuṭṭhāṇam/ bhaniyam bhāvavisuddham nipphajjai phalam taha u //778// na vi kimci vi aņuṇṇātaṁ paḍisiddhaṁ vā vi jiņavarimdehim/ titthagarāṇam āņā kajje saccena hoyavvam//779//
-Uvaesapaya by Haribhadrasūri
1. yas tu samyamaguptyartham na maya mṛga upalabdha ityädikaḥ sa na doṣaya /-Vṛtti on Suyagada, Adhyayana 8, gatha 19.
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