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A Study of Jain Monastic Life: 119
The Jaina canons define and illustrate the rigorous course of discipline. These rules and regulation which pertain to various aspects of monastic life such as conversion of persons, acquisition of food and requisites by them, church units and officers, study, transgressions and punishments and the like are developed to an incomparable height. Mahāvīra also prescribed certain rules of conduct for ascetics. These rules are classified under such general heads as begging, walking, modes of speech, entry into others possessions, postures, place of study and attending to the calls of nature. Here begging includes begging food and drink, a bowl, clothes, and residence or a couch. Under these subheads are to be found the rules governing the modes of eating, drinking, and lying down? Walking includes traveling, crossing, swimming and other forms of movement. The postures are those that are involved in religious exercises.
The most striking traits of these rules are that they presuppose the three fold principle of inoffensiveness, self-restraint and penance or in the words of the rival religious sects self mortification.
Admission of candidates to the order is one of the most important features of monachism. The monks were persons of high moral standard and self control. To maintain this standard, certain qualifications were expected to those wishing to join the order, even though church life was proclaimed to be open to all irrespective of caste or status. The following males were disqualified to enter the order.2
(1) a child under eight years (bāle) 2) an old person (vuddhe), (3) an eunuch (pandaka), (4) a sick person (vähie), (5) a person devoid of limbs (jungia), (6) a timid person (kive), (7) a person of dull intellect (jadḍa), (8) a robber (teņa), (9) an enemy of the king (rāyāvagārī), (10) a mad person (ummatta), (11) a blind person (adamsane), (12) a slave (dāse), (13) a wicked person (dutthe), (14)
