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accept any other item of necessity from out of that purchased by the householders for their own requirements. At the same time the ascetics can accept only those items that are free of various flaws, which might not be possible if they accepted invitations or fetched their requirements through someone else. It is because of these stringent conditions attached to the practice of mendicancy by the Jaina ascetics and consequent hardships faced by them that the lay followers consider it a privilege if they can provide them food and other monastic necessities when they call at their households for begging.
As the Jaina ascetics can accept only flawless items of food and other necessities, it is essential that the householders must also know about those flaws and offer only flawless items when the ascetics call at their households. Inclusion of this vow amongst the twelve duties of the householders ensures such knowledge and consequent purity of the practice of monastic mendicancy.
A householder who knows about these rules of offerings and willingly offers food and other monastic requirements to the monks and nuns is said to be a noble householder.
Excesses Of The Vow Of Sharing - a. Sacitta-Niksepa - To put the cooked food etc with the
uncooked one with an intention of not giving to the
mendicants. b. Sacitta Pidhāna – To cover the cooked food etc with the
uncooked one with an intention of not giving to the
mendicants. c. Kālātikram - With an intention of not giving to the
mendicants, to make oneself scarce at the usual time when the mendicants may call and then to perform the formality of showing readiness to give afterwards. SĀGĀRA VINAYA (THE HOUSEHOLDERS' CONDUCT): 267
