Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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STUDIES IN BUDDHIST AND JAINA MONACHISM
and receiving precious metals (jataruparajatapaṭiggahana).1 Accordingly novices who either destroyed life; committed theft; were unholy; spoke lie; took hard drinks; spoke against the Buddha, the Dhamma or the Saugha; held false belief; or enjoyed sexual intercourse with nuns were liable to expulsion from the Order."
The primary precepts to be observed by the Jaina Order of monks and nuns were the five great vows (pañcamahavvaya), viz., absolute abstinence from inflicting injury to sentient beings (pānaivaya), perfect abstinence from telling a lie (musaraya), total avoidance of stealing (adinnadana), perfect continence (mehuna) and abandonment of all possessions (pariggaha)."
These two sets of precepts, one for the Buddhists (sikkhapada) and the other for the Jainas (mahavvaya) when compared give the impression that they do not differ much from one another. The first four sikkhapadas agree entirely with that of the first four mahavvayas, and the tenth with that of the fifth, which is much more comprehensive than the corresponding one of the Buddhist'. The rest being one or other form of impure life come under the range of the third sikkhapada.5 Thus the only difference between the sikkhapadas and the mahavvayas is of number and not of principle which justifies the nane sikkhapada given to the mahavvayas by the Uttaradhyayana and seems to have misguided a few scholar to regard 'the Jainas merely as one of the oldest sects of Buddhism'7.
It will follow that these precepts, though not with the same strictness as in case of the monks and the nuns are also to be followed by lay-devotees belonging not only to the faith concerned but by the human beings in general. These precepts being the very ideal of the Indian of life since times immemorial, it is difficult to ascertain way as to who introduced them first.
1. MV, 1.47 106, p. 87.
2. Ibid, 1. 53. 51, p. 89.
3. Ayar (SBE. Vol. XXII), 2. 15 (pp. 202-210); Samv, 5, p. 10a; Than, 389,
p. 290a; Uttar, 30. 2; Antg, p. 36; Later on abstinence from night-meal was also added to the list of mahavvayas. Dasv, 4. 1-5 (pp. 5-6); Aup, 34.
SBE. Vol. XXII, Introduction, p. 23.
4.
5.
The seventh and eighth sikkhapadas are considered as one. See Anguttaranikaya, Vol. III, 8. 5. 1.
6. Uttar, 23, 12; 23. 23.
7.
SBE. Vol. XXII, Introduction, p. 18. One of the four points of resemblance between Buddhism and Jainism cited by Prof. Lassen is ahimsa, the first sikkhapada or the first mahavvaya--Ibid, p. 21.