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124
SHRAMAN MAHAVIR
greeted Ananda 'May he live for long, Venerable Ananda, sir! I seek a kind favour of the Lord,'
'It were better if he had prescribed for the mutual courtesy, bowing, folding hands and doing homage related to the seniority of intitiation amongst the monks and nuns
·
Ananda conveyed the prayer to Buddha Said the Lord 'Know it Ananda! Tathagata (Buddha) holds it inconceivable to allow any kind of greetings by rising from the seat, folding hands or doing homages whatsoever to the female saints
'Ananda! Even the sadhus belonging to cruder religions disallow any greeting in respect, folding hands and the like to their nuns How then shall Tathagata allow the females this undeserved honour?'
Lord Buddha resumed after narrating various religious fables, 'Worthy monks! Abstain from showing respect to females by greeting, rising, folding hands and the like One who ignores the cammand commits the sin called Utkat1
Lord Mahavira was quite liberal towards the females No privilege was denied to them in the religious sphere The principle of equality was applied without discrimination to the males as well as the females Hence one is tempted to garb his novel monastic protocol thus
1 A monk initiated later should bow to a senior monk
2
A nun initiated later should bow to a senior nun
Collective Values
Lord Mahavira was an apostle of individual freedom and a great pioneer of collective values The corollary of relativism Is individual-oriented community and community-oriented Individual
1 'Vivayapitaka' p 522
Liberty and organisation both are relative truths To disregard either is to disregard both The commentator puts it thus
'One who dishonours one monk, dishonours the entire
