Book Title: Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jain Canons
Author(s): Jagdishchandra Jain
Publisher: New Book Company

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Page 155
________________ POSITION OF WOMEN 153 We notice that both Jainism and Buddhism place nuns under a more rigorous discipline than monks. They are prohibited to study the chapters on Mahāparijñā and Aruņopapāta and the Drstırāda. It is stated that the Distivada deals with the magical formulae and as women are not strong enough and are fickle-minded, hence they are not allowed to study the above-mentioned scripture & The climax is reached in the rule which lays down that a monk of three years practice can become a teacher of a nun of thirty years practice; and a monk of five years practice can become an acārya of a nun of sixty years practice." Jain texts mention a number of women of wicked nature, thereby preaching the ascetic ideal of renunciation. We hear of Mayanamañjari, the wife of prince Agadadatta,who fell in love with another man and made an attempt on the life of her husband, which caused the prince to renounce the world and join the ascetic order. Then we are told of a banker's wife, who had illicit connections with some young man The father-in-law of the woman told his son about it but he would not believe that his wife had been of false faith. Later on she was put to an ordeal of entering into a Jakkha temple. The ordeal resulted in a guilty person remaining in the temple for ever, while the non-guilty came out frec The banker's wife visited the Jakkha, who was her own paramour in the disguise of a Pusaca, and said " fI love any other person except the man to whom I had been given in wedlock by my parents, 'you, the Ghost', should know." The Jakkha got perplexed and began to think that even he had been cheated by her In the meantime she came out of the temple and her fatherin-law was put to humiliation by the people. It should be noted, however, that the above remarks about women do not find general acceptance in society and they are made with a view to blacken the character of women in order to warn the lustful monks to keep aloof from feminine charms that might overcome their reason Judging from the contemporary writings of other faiths, it does not appear that women had suddenly clothed themselves in all sorts of vices specially in the Jain and Buddhist period Varahamıhıra has pointed out boldly that all the defects that have been attributed to women exist in man as well. Women, however, try to remove them, while men are supremely indifferent in the matter. Marriage vows are equally binding on the couple Men treat them lightly, while women act up to them Who suffer more from the sex urge? Men, who marry even in their old age, or women who lead a chaste life, even if widowed in the prime of their youth ? Men no doubt go on talking of their love to their wives, while B Brh. Bhā Pi 146, also cf Vya Bhā 5 139 Cf the position of the Bhikkınıs in the Buddhist Sangha. The eight principle vous prior to admission, make a Bhikhunt in every way subordinate to a Bhikkhu. The first rule is that a Bhikkhuni,even if of a hundred years standing, should make salutation to, should rise up in presence of, should bow down before a Bhikkhu, if only just initiated (Cullatagga, X, 1.4). Uttară Ti, 4, pp 84-93 Das cu PP. 89-91. This story is also found in the Suka Saplati, 16, p. 66, Ed. by Richard Schmidt, Leipzig, 1893.

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