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śramaņa, Vol 59, No. 4/October-December 2008
6. For recent valuable study on the life and the code of discipline
of the monks, see R. H. Robinson, W. L. Johnson, and S. A. Wawrytko, The Buddhist Religion: A Historical
Introduction, U. S. A., 1997, pp. 67 8 74. 7. Dabistan-i-Mazahib, vol. II, p.210. However, in another
prominent Persian literature, A'in-i Akbari, it is stated that the Persians and Arabs referred the Buddhist monks as Bakhshi, seemingly meaning Bhikshus - see Abul Fazl, A'ini Akbari, Eng. tr. H. Blochmann, New Delhi, 1997, vol. III,
p 223. 8. It is interesting to note that the ethics of ahimsā is the keynote
of Buddhism. It stresses, like Jainism, the ethics of ahimsā, non-injury in thought, word or deed - cf. Jadunath Sinha, A History of Indian Philosophy, Calcutta, 1952, vol. II, pp. 325, 326, 342
.
9. Dabistan-i Mazahib, vol. II, p. 212. It is noteworthy that the
other Persian littsrateur of Mughal India, namely Abul Fazl, while writing on the topic under review, also asserts that the Buddhist monks stay away from women. See A’in-i Akbari, vol. III, p 223.
10. Interestingly, Buddhism was considered to be a reactionary
faith, which stood against the rigidities imposed on the society by Brahmanism. And, resultantly, the followers of
this faith were anti - Brāhmaṇa. 11. Dabistan-i Mazahib, vol. II, p.213. However, now-a-days
we observe that the Baniyās are mostly the followers of
Jainism and not Buddhism. 12. For details about women followers of Buddhism, see Swarna
de Silva, The Place of Women in Buddhism , UK, 1994; L.S. Dewaraja, The Position of Women in Buddhism, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 1981.
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