Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

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

Page 174

NISSAYAS
153
adverted to above. It is however evident that the ill and the needy members of the Church were always given special attention in the distribution of clothing.
The monks belonging to both the Churches always intended to have the lion's share and the best possible clothing out of the whole lot. The Buddhists discouraged this tendency by asking a monk not to accept a share in the kathina-robes in residence other than that in which he had kept his retreat. Though a monk was allowed to keep retreat in more than one residence, he was not to claim an equal share in the kathina-robes in all the residences lived in. His share, on the contrary, was to be determined by the period of time lived in each residence.” The Jainas stopped this attitude by prescribing various prāyascittas in this respect.
The rule that a robe given to another monk should not be taken back also obtains with the Jainas. The Acārā ngasūtra does not allow a monk either to take back a robe given to another monk for himself or for somebody else, or to give clothing to others in exchange for another one..
In normal circumstances, perhaps the exchange of robes was allowed to the Buddhist Order. But a monk was not allowed either to give to or to receive a robe from a nun not related to him.
Normally no exchange of requisites, such as, clothing, beggingbowl, etc. was allowed to the Jaina monks without the sanction of the gani. But they were allowed to give such things to helpless and needy members of the Church.10 Exchange of robes between a monk and a nun was, however, permissible in cases of calamities and troubles. 11
Not only the resident-monks of the Buddhist Church were obliged to give accommodation to and serve the in-coming monks in
1. ByhkB, Vol. IV, 4314-29. 2. MV, 8.21 39. pp. 315-16. 3. ByhkB, Vol. IV, 4314-29. 4. PM, 4. 25. 5. Ayar (SBE, Vol. XXII), 2.5.2. 2 (pp. 163-64). 6. PM, 5. 25. 7. Ibid, 4.5. 8. Nis, 18. 21-64. 9. Ibid, 14. 1-4; 14. 5-7; 16. 25-29, 10. Ibid, 14. 7; 18. 21-64. 11. BrhkB, Vol. IV, 3919-51; 3992-94.