Sramana Tradation

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 59

Šramana Tradition
Thus both the Jainas and the Buddhists, thanks to lay patronage, came to live in monasteries where they formed a new society standing over against the mad rush of the world moved by desires and fears. These monasteries became in course of time noble monuments of art and architecture, places of pilgrimage and centres of education and learning. Beginning as the isolation of the monk from society, the movement ultimately placed him in the midst of a new society !
All the śramaņa sects were organized under a leader as a gaña. The leader - gani, satthå -- directed the followers in their conduct and instructed them in doctrine and also appointed his own successor. The Buddha made a great departure in this respect. He organized the Sangha as an ini personal, democratically organized body and instead of nominating a successor declared that the Dharma itself should govern the Sangha 59 The entry to the Sangha was governed by Pravrajyā which made the novice a Srāmanera till he received the Upa. sampadá or confirmation. The novice to be ordained was required to fulfil the conditions of eligibility such as being at least fifteen years old, hav.
the permission of the parents and having the requisite articles like the aims bowl, the three robes etc. He was ordained by the Trišarana formula and placed under an Upādhyāya or Acārya. The relationship between the Acārya and the Antevāsika or Saddhaviharika was pattern. ed on that in the Brahmaņical school and this state of pupilage or training itself was called Brahmacarya. The monks in each locality met periodically to recite the Prātimokṣa and confess any transgression of which they might be guilty. Such assemblies were called Uposatha, a custom widely prevalent among the Sramaņa sects. The Rain-retreat or Varșäväsa was another common custom. Among the Buddhists the Varsäyäsa ended with the ceremony of the distribution of robes or Kathina and a general confessional called Praváranā. In course of time the Buddhist monks were allowed the use of a variety of goods in the monasteries.co They were thus permitted robes (pārāra ), blankets (Kambala), bathing clothes (udaka-sāțiká), towels and bags (Parikkha.
59. Cf. Muhāparinibbānasutta : Digha Nikāya ( Nal, ed.) II, p. 118 : mayā dhammo
ca vina yo ca desito paññatto, so yo mamaccayena satthå / 60. G. S. P. Misra, op. cit, pp. 124-127.