Religious Prayascittas according to old Jaina Ritual

Author(s): Collete Caillat
Publisher: Z_Mahavir_Jain_Vidyalay_Suvarna_Mahotsav_Granth_Part_1_012002.pdf and Mahavir_Jain_Vidyalay_Suvarna_

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THE RELIGIOUS' PRĀYAŚCITTAS : 107
of the guru; nevertheless, if his teacher is away, the bhikkhu can perform it alone.93
It will have been noted that, while the äloyană ritual seems rather simple, the padikkamana looks much more elaborate. A similar feature can be traced in the Buddhists' ceremonial : when the monks have committed an offence, they confess it to the superior; and this confession is auricular. Then, at fixed dates, they meet in an assembly the purity of which is solemnly proclaimed.94 On the other hand, it should be remembered that, in Brahmanical circles, the practice of confession is very old, while it is only in later times that repentance came to be expressed.95
THE THIRD ATONEMENT (misa, miśra, or (tad-) ubhaya). It combines aloyani and padikkamaņa. The peculiar features appear to be these : (1) the repentance is necessarily preceded by the confession, which must be addressed to the guru; (2) the padikkamana immediately follows aloyanā, and the regrets are expressed strictly conforming to the guru's advices. 96
THE FOURTH ATONEMENT (viveya, viveka). It is but the restitution of alms which had been accepted, and which later on are found to be impure. The bhikkhu will be considered to be faultless if he gives them back conforming to the Rule (VavPithBh 109).
THE FIFTH ATONEMENT (viussagga, vyutsarga; kāussagga). The kāussagga is constantly resorted to in the religious life. It is meant to procure detachment. Various postures help to attain this aim, especially that which is immortalized by the colossal statue of Bahubali at Śravana Belgola. It is emphasized at the end of the kāyotsarga-sūtra, when the bhikkhu proclaims : "I cast my body off by standing motionless, my self off by keeping silent and meditating", kāyam thānenam monenam jhāņeņa appāņa vosirämi.97
In fact, this observance is supposed to have negative and positive results: (1) it destroys the sinful acts; (2) it helps to concentrate, to get rid of laziness, to conquer equanimity.98
93 Ibid., p. 39 b 10. 94 Cf. Raffaele Pettazzoni, La confessione dei peccati 1, 312 ff. 95 Gampert, Sühnezeremonien 234 f. 96 Cf. VavPithȚ 20 b 6 ff.; 37 a 2. 97 R. Williams, Jaina Yoga 213. 98 Ibid., 213; Vav PithBh 125.