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The Teachings of Arhat Pärśva And The Distinctness of His Sect
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Mahāvira forbade this practice. Pärśva allowed his monks to accept the meals prepared for the king; Mahāvira prohibited it. In Mahāvīra's tradition it was vital for a friar (or nun) to move from one place to another, except during the rainy season: Also, an ascetic, he had said, must not stay at one place for more than a month. But, according to Pārsva's tradition, a friar could stay at one place as long as he wished. In short, to keep on wandering was essential in Mahāvīra's but was optional in Pārsva's disciplinary code. Again, Mahavira had stressed that an ascetic must stay on at one place during the four months of the rainy season; in Pārsva's tradition this practice was also optional.
According to Mahāvīra an aspirant to friarhood must be initiated probationally. After this testing period, if he is proven eligible, then he may be allowed to be ordinated second time and his seniority was fixed accordingly in the Order or Samgha.
These are some of the distinctive features of Pärsva's philosophy, teachings, and monastic discipline as can be traced out from the early literature. The belief that all Jinas teach the same code of conduct, and that the ascetics of the Pārsva's Order had become wayward by Mahavira's time receives no support from the evidence locked in the earlier canonical books.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
See Epigraphia Indica, Vol. X. Appendix. A list of Brahmi Inscriptions S.N. 110, p. 20. Kalpasūtra 216. In the various inscriptions of Kankäli Tila, Mathură, we have two readings about this kula of the Kottiyagana: (1) Thaniya-kula (2) Sthaniya-kula. While in the
Kalpasūtra we have a third reading, Vānijja-kula. 3. Preserved in the Government Museum, Lucknow 4. This date is after the recent researches by Gritli v.
Mitterwallner. CE U.P. Shah, Studies in Jaina Art, Varanasi 1955, plate 1,
fig. 3. 6. Me Kate ime viyapata hohonti ti niganthesu Pi -- Inscription
No. 7, line 16, Delhi-Topara Inscription. 7. See G.P. Malalasekere, Dictionary of Pali-Proper names,
Vol. II, London 1974, pp. 61-65. 8. Hermann Jacobi, Jaina Sutras, Part II, (S.B.E. Vol. XLV),
Introduction, p. xxi. 9. (A) Cāuijñame niyanthe-Isibhāsiyain, 31.
(B) Cãujjāmo ya jo dhammo jo imo pamoasikkio.
Uttarādhyayana 23/12. 10. See P. Sukhalal, Cara Tirthankara (Hindi), (sec. edn.),
Varanasi 1989, pp. 141-43, See also "Introduction", the
Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XXII, p. xliv. 11. Isibhåsiyain, 31. 12. Acarānga II, 15/25. 13. SūtrakȚtänga II. 7/8. 14. Vyakhyaprajñapti 1/9/21-24: 2/5/95; 5/9/254-255. 15. Jñātādharma-katha 2/3/1-6. 16. Uttaradhyayana 23.
18. Narakävalikā (Niryāvaliya-sutra) 3/1. 19. Sthānārga 9/61. 20. Uttaradhyayana 23/12-13; see also commentary of
Säntyäcārya for these verses. 21. Samavāyānga 8/8, 9/4, 16/4, 38/1, 100/4. 22. Āuaśyaka-niryukti 238 and 1241-1243. 23. Višesāvašyaka-bhāsya. 24. Avasyaka-cūrņi. 25. Paryusanā-kalpa (Kalpa-sūtra) 148-156. 26. Mūlācāra. 27. See Arhat Pärśva. 28. Isibhästyäin, 31. 29. See Sagarmal Jain, Rishihhasit : A Study, Jaipur 1988. 30. Isibhästyäin, 31. 31. Sūtrakstānga II, Chapter 7th. 32. Vyākhyāprajñapti 10.9.33. Ibid, 2.5. 33. 34. Uttaradhyayana 23. 35. See Cara Tirtharikara for detailed discussion 36. Uttarādhyayana 23/12. 37. Se vāriyā ithi saraihhattam-Sūtrakrtănga 1/6/28. 38. Ibid., 1/3/4/9-10. 39. Ibid., 2/7/81. 40. Vyakhyāprajñapti 1/9/123. See also Avašyaka-niryukti 1241. 41. Uttarādhyayana 23/12. See also sāntācārya's tikä on the
above verses. 42. See (a) Avasyaka-niryukti, 1241-1243.
(b) Brhat-Kalpa sūtra-bhāşya, 6359-6366.
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