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' PRAYASCITTAS : 117 (gihi, Vav 2, 19; 21). This means that they must take care to behave perfectly according to the Rule. They will not bathe, but will wear fine clothes. Then they go to the assembly of bhikkhus, approach the superior and say : "Lord, I wish to hear the Law". The superior recites it. Then the penitent proclaims: "I believe in this righteous Law. Let me leave the world o.155 Though the ganavaccheiya is forbidden to receive the anavatthaya and paranciya into the gana if they do not come as lay believers, the gana may insist that they be rehabilitated : the ganavaccheiya then must comply with the gana's wishes (cf. jaha tassa gamassa pattiyam siya, Vav 2, 22 f.). Four cases are listed, when the penitents need not perform this preliminary ceremonial: (1) because of regard for the king, and because the community is grateful to the penitent for past services (VavBh 2, 243-254); (2) when an ayariya has suffered some prejudice in his gana (ibid. 2, 255); (3) because his people wants him and no other (ibid. 2, 258 f.); (4) if there is a controversy between two ganas the members of which are agiyattha (ibid. 2, 260 ff.). In the Digambara community, the two last atonements were called (9) parihara, (10) saddahana (Mulacara 5, 165; (10) sraddhana, Asadhara, Anagaradharmamota 7, 56). They differ in various details from the Svetambaras' anavasthaya and carama. But the general aim is the same: to release the links between the penitent and his fellow monks, help him to behave correctly, so that he can concentrate on his own spiritual progress, and resume his previous good conduct after readmission into his gana. Meanwhile, he has been placed in conditions which should constantly remind him of Lord Mahavira's example, 155 VavBh 2, 233. NU