Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

Page 85

Jaina Canonical Texts
which food could not be taken is given in the Mülācāra. If a crow touches the food or if some one vomits or if the monk happens to see blood or flesh or somebody crying or if living beings like flies fall into his food, no food should be received under such circumstances. Again: monks should not take food before sunrise and after sun-set." Food must be procured in broad daylight and never in twilight or night.55 It must not be preserved even for the next half of the day and stale food was forbidden for the use of the monks. 56 Food from donor of loose morals was also rejected.57 There is, however, reason to suppose that even meat cating was not categorically forbidden. As a matter of fact, the monks could accept meat in alms under certain circumstances.58 But this fact goes against the spirit of Jainism which practises ahimsā; hence the terms, like 'nārsena', 'poggalam', 'unimisar' etc. mentioned in the Ācāranga-sútra, have been taken by some commentators in the sense of vegetarian diets.
What is received from the alms is to be distributed among the fellow monks with proper permission from the teachers. It is thus stated that “A single mendicant, having collected alms for many, might, without consulting his fellow ascetics, give them to those whom he list; as this would be sinful, he should not do so. Taking the food, he should go there (where his teacher etc. are) and speak thus: 'O long lived śramaņa! there are near or remote (spiritual) relations of mine: a teacher, a sub-teacher, a religious guide, a sthāvira, a head of a gana, a gañadhara, a founder of a gana; forsooth, I shall give it them'. The other may answer him: “Well now, indeed, O long lived one; give such a portion.' As much as the other commands thus much he should give; if the other commands the whole, he should give the whole.''59 It shows that fellow feeling or feeling for the comrnunity as a whole was widely prevalent among the monks of the Jaina order. Everything was managed democratically by the monks and there was no such thing as individual property within the order.
Another interesting point that should be mentioned in this connection is that the Jaina institution regulated the life of the monks and nuns not only within its order alone but their relations with the public as well as with the king also. The Jaina teachers were very careful about the political influences over this Jaina order. Monks and nuns, therefore, should avoid all political controversics; even they were not allowed to make friendship with the