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comparison between the Jaina and the Buddhist way of dealing with these transgressions and their punishments. The most obvious point of difference is that the Buddhists deal with the details of these transgressions and punishments in the main Vinaya texts while the Jainas deal with them not so much in the Angas (the basic canons) as in the Chedasūtras which are not so publicly read and discussed. In this light it can be said that for the Buddhists violations and their corresponding punishments are more of an open affair while for the Jainas they are comparatively private. Again, the admission of transgressions etc. for the Jaina monks does not require inviting an assembly of monks to decide the nature of offence as with the Buddhists, nor is the prosecution of the guilty according to Jainas is such an elaborate affair as it is in the Buddhist jurisprudence.
It seems while discussing the transgressions, I have myself transgressed from my focal theme of Pratikramana and Kşamāpanā which is a solemn acceptance of guilt to oneself and asking others for forgiveness, if they are directly or indirectly or immediately or remotely hurt by one's action. However, the purpose of discussing these violations and punishments is to throw light on the social aspects of the fundamental moral principles and no moral principle can have relevance without a society and a social order.
In the end, I would like to underscore that culture is a collective representation of a group, it is our social duty with sincere individual commitment to propagate the culture of Pratikramana and kşamāpanā not only on Indian soil as part of Indian culture but of global culture of this small world. References:
1. Jaina Monistic Jurisprudence, S. B. Deo, Poona . 1996. 2. Śrāvaka-pratikramana Sūtra, Ed. Vijay Muni Shastri,
Sanmati Gyanpeeth, Agra, 1996 3. Śrāvaka-pratikramaņa Sūtra, Ed. Vijay Muni Shastri, Sanmati
Gyanpeeth, Agra, 1996
