________________
850/37067-71888€
:
4
monks to cover their nudity, particularly at the occasion of visiting towns for alms. It was on this point of possessing clothes that Śivabhūti dissented from Āryakrsna.
Jaina literary sources reveal contrary facts as to the preceptor-disciple relation between Āryakrsna and Sivabhūti. According to Āvaśyaka-mūlabhāşya, there was preceptor-disciple relation between Aryakrsna and Sivabhūti, while the hagiological list of Kalpasūtra explicitly mentioned Śivabhūti as predecessor to Aryakrsna. However, this, in no way, hindered the contemporaneity of the two. The fact remained that there was a difference of opinion between them. The anecdote of the blanket set with gems (Ratnakambala ) as contained in the works of Śvetāmbara tradition, is also not authentic. In fact, after emancipation of Mahāvīra, the tendency of possessing clothes and begging bowls, crept into his order with an increasing trend. Though minor monks ( kşullakas ), monks with abnormal organs ( Sadoșa-lingas ) and those hailing from royal families were allowed to have clothes etc. as an exception ( apavāda mărga ). But when this exeception ( apavāda mārga ) began to assume the form of practice or rule ( utsargamārga ) among monks, considering Jinakalpa as extinct, Sivabhūti tried to make nudity essential for monks. Prior to him, Āryarakṣita also had to prevail over his father, who was initiated into the former's Sangha, to adopt nudity. As his father was hesitant in practising nudity before his kinsmen Āryarakṣita, himself, allowed the monks to keep an extra bowl, in rainy season to excrete, in addition to begging bowls. Even during the time of Mahāvīra, monks were not resolute in observing nudity as a rule rather it was exceptional. But considering the Jinakalpa, as extinct, when Jaina monks started treating the holding of clothes as a rule and not as exception, then Sivabhūti, was forced to make drive to establish nudity as a rule. He opposed the concept of extinct of Jinakalpa and maintained that all the capable monks ought to practise nudity and be hand-bowled. Nevertheless, in exceptional cases, he was not averse to holding of clothes by monks. BhagavatiFor Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
Jain Education International
