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SOME JAINA CANONICAL SUTRAS
worships an arhut or tirthakara. The worship has two forms: the ascetic life of a monk, and the mildly active life of a laity. The former is morally higher.
Sumai and Naila, two rich brothers of the laic-state of the city of Kusatthala in Magadha, are compelled to wander about on account of the loss of their property. On the way they meet five monks and a lay brother, and they join them. But Naila, a follower of Aritthanemi, soon realizes that they are in evil company and he tries to persuade Sumai to leave them. In course of a dialogue, he refers to the blameworthy activities of their comrades. Sumai persists in accompanying them. The restrictions which Naila demands are, in his opinion, impossible to observe. So Naila has to leave Sumai. After five months there is a famine in which those seven perished.
Under Navaniyasara one should belong to a good Gaccha, which is conducted by a good Ganin. The order in Gaccha will remain valid up to the time of Duppasaha. The behest of the teacher should not be disregarded and elucidatory example serves the story of the five hundred disobedient monks of Vaira, who was followed by 1,500 nuns besides these monks. In course of a pilgrimage in honour of Candappaha, they commit many misdeeds. They are reminded of the evil consequences of their misdeeds but in vain.
The sutta refers to the four kinds of teachers. Of these four kinds the bhāvāyariya is to be regarded as equal to a tirthakara and his behest is to be obeyed like that of latter. The penance which a teacher is liable to perform is many times more difficult than that of an ordinary monk. He to whom the conduct of a Gaccha is to be entrusted should behave like a monk. The prestige of the teacher (āṇā) will endure till the time of Sirippabha. The text gives a description of persons not fit for the Order. If a teacher admits such men into the Order he would be guilty of a grave offence.
According to our sutta the canon is to be handed down by the teacher in the correct form. In course of time many transgressed the sacred doctrine. A teacher harbouring false views is not destined for release. It has been implicitly stated in the Sutta that an arhat (apparently a teacher and nothing more as in Chap. V of the Mahānisiha) should never allow a woman to touch him on any account. The daughter of a purohita, who is in the service of a grocer, feels a longing for flesh and groats during her pregnancy and procures these by selling valuables belonging to her master. For this, she
