Book Title: Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism
Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur
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PABBAJJK AND UPASAMPADA
79
requested him to receive himself as his direct disciple in the following words :
“Therefore, I wish, Sir, to be initiated, to be tonsured, to be instructed, to be admonished, to be trained in the propriety of conduct and to be exhorted by the Lord himself."
Then the Lord himself initiated Megha and preached him religious discourse 1
This festive procedure of renunciation followed by the Jainas does not obtain with the Buddhists. But one thing, however, seems certain. It is that the process is to some extent identical with the procedure adopted by the Buddha in case of admitting a person as lay devotee. The final procedure of renunciation recorded by the Canonical texts of the Buddhists is out and out a sangha-kamma. But it may however be pointed out that this way of admission to the Buddhist Order, as it was devoid of festivity, could not continue for long. In due course it gave way to a process full of pomp and luxury. It is therefore not amazing to know that the Theravādins, even nowadays, solemnise the ceremony with due pomp and eclat. Thus they follow a procedure not very different from that of the Jainas already referred to.
Besides the above procedure of the Jaina initiation, the Pañcarastuka, one of the most important non-canonical Jaina texts gives a procedure which in several respects, it will be seen, resembles to the ceremony of initiation or ordination of the Buddhists, already mentioned as ñatticatutthakammaupasampada.
According to this procedure, certain questions pertaining to native place, the status of his family and the motive of renunciation are put to the monk-to-be (pavvayāveha) which he is to face boldly and frankly. Then he is made acquainted with the pure conduct of ascetics and the good consequences that are in store for him. So also, he is to be alarmed of the perdition imminent for the feigned ascetics with the example of a sick meeting his end soon due to improper food. Then he is tested formally even if he is considered fit and capable.
After all these preliminaries, the teacher, on an auspicious day, teaches the monk-to-be the formula of paying homage to the celiyas
1. Nāyā, pp. 29-34. It is perhaps only in the Nayādhammakahão that we find
Lord Mahāvira converting persons himself, in terms analogous with that of the Buddha who is referred to have received a number of persons
himself. 2. Cf. Infra, pp. 83-6. 3. Vide, P. Levy, Buddhism, a 'Mystery Religion' Chap. I.II.
