Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

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

Page 132

NISSAYAS
111
means adopted in the acquisition of food, and the ways of offering and accepting it are some of the terms often used in point, which will be explained in due course.
In both the systems monks were asked not to take recourse to any worldly arts and crafts for their livelihood. As such food acquired by raking messages, going on errands or acting as gobetweens (duteyyapahinaga manānuyogam anuyutta); by playing tricks (kuhana), speaking indistinct words to gain something desired (lapana) or by jugglery nippesikata) ; by prognostigations like palmistry (anganimittam), interpretation of omens and sciences (uppatan) or of dreams (supiņam lakkhanan) or the like ; by performing sacrifices or oblations to gods, etc ; by curing harms caused by demons (bhūtavijja) or snake-bite, etc. ; hy bird-craft (sakuņavijiā); by foretelling the
r luck of the owner of gems and weapons, etc. ; by astrological forecasts like the possibility of lunar or solar eclipse, fall of meteors, earthquake, etc. ; by making poems (kāveyyan) or fixing lucky days for marriages, etc. ; by applying charms to make people lucky or unlucky, to cause abortion or to bring on any physical disability ; by showing other magical arts, etc.; and by curing persons through medicine or surgical operations were deemed unsuitable to the Buddhists.' So also, to acquire food by virtue of one's previous profession was also unbeseeming to them. Lord Buddha when he came to know that a monk, previously a barber had asked his sons to procure food for him and his Order, he rebuked him badly 2
This type of prohibitions to be followed by a Jaina monk, alread referred to as uppayana dosa were sixteen in number. Accordingly a monk must not use food obtained by acting as a nurse (dhāi); taking meassages, going on errands or acting as go-betweens (dii); exploiting one's previous caste, family or profession (ajiva); posing as a beggar (vanimaga); acting as a physician or a surgeon (tigiccha); making people afraid of one's power to invoke bad luck on them (koha); asserting pride for one's ability (māna); deceiving (māya); showing greed for something (lobha); praising (santhava); magical arts (vijjā and manta); influencing people by the application of some powder or ointment (cunna and joga'; and advising people regarding marriages, causing impregnation or abortion (muūlakamma).3
1. DN, Vol. I, pp. 7-12; Dialogues of the Buddha, Vol. I, pp. 6-26. 2. MV, 6.24.45, pp. 262-83. 3. Pind N, 410-512, pp. 121b-145b.