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146
Lord Mahavira and His Times
BEGGING CLOTHES
A monk or a nun wanting clothes may beg for clothes made of wool, silk, hemp, palm leaves, cotton, etc. He or she should not accept clothes which a layman has bought, washed, dyed, rubbed, cleaned, or perfumed. A monk or a nun should not accept clothes made of fur or clothes that are fine or beautiful, etc. He or she should not accept plaids of fur or other materials. He or she may ask a householder or his wife for clothes which have been well inspected. He or she should not accept clothes which are full of eggs or living organisms, for they are impure. He or she may accept clothes which are strong, lasting, and are fit for a mendicant.
If a mendicant borrows for a short time a robe from another mendicant, the owner of it should not take back such a robe for himself nor should he give it to somebody else. A monk or a nun should not make coloured clothes colourless, he or she should not, that is, colour colourless clothes. If a monk sees thieves on his way, he should not leave the robe out of fear to save his clothes.1
BEGGING FOR A BOWL
Monks, and nuns should not accept a bowl bought by a layman. They should not accept expensive bowls or bowls containing precious materials. They may accept a bowl from a householder or his wife after having it thoroughly inspected. They may beg for a bowl used by a former owner or by many people. Entering into the abode of a householder for the sake of alms, they should circumspectly leave it after examining their alms-bowl and removing all living beings from it if there be any. They should not wipe or rub a wet or moist almsbowl.2
SPOT WHERE ONE CAN EASE ONESELF
They should not empty their bowls of excrement on the bare ground or on wet ground or on dusty ground or on a rock or clay containing life or a timber inhabited by worms. They
1. Acho, II, 5, 1-2. 2. Ibid, II, 6, 1-2.
