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
Another unit of the Buddhist Brotherhood is Gana. The commentator defines it as a group of four or more than four monks. In the words of Prof. Childers, "Gana as applied to an assemblage of priests is, like Sangha, used in a wide and somewhat vague sense, heing applied alike to the whole priesthood, and to so small a number as five".
Thus the details as regards the Sangha and the Gana are so meagre and vague that it is very difficult to draw a sharp line of distinction between the two.
(6) Jaina
It is well-known that the Jaina monks led itinerary life staying not more than five consequitive nights at a particular place in the dry seasons. The practice is more or less in vogue even nowadays. It was because of this that the Jaina priesthood was divided into a good number of groups and sub-groups prominent among which were the following.
The largest and the most ancient unit of the Jaina priesthood was Gana. We have already stated that Lord Mahā vīra is said to have divided his Church into nine Gaņas. In spite of the fact, as the explanation supplied by the commentators differ immensely from one another, it is difficult to form a clear-cut idea about the Gana. At one place it is said to have been a batch of monks having common reading, while at other simply a group of Kulas? or Sambhogas,' while still at other a synonym for Gaccha.5
Besides, we also come across references to the exact number of monks, a Gana consisted of. They were three, five,' or thousand for the maximum.
1. Childers, Pali English Dictionary, Sub voce.
samānavācanākrijāḥ sādhuzamudayah-Comm. to Samv., p. 14b. 3. gañāti kulasamudāyaḥ, Comm to Than. p. 516a; According to the Comm.
to Bhag, P, 382b, a gana consists of three kulas; ByhkB, Vol, I, 492-93;
Comm. to Aup, p. 8!. 4. Brhk, 4.18-20. 5. Comm. to Thān, p. 331b; gano gacchah tasya copagrāhitā, pp. 340a,
386a, etc. 6 Mül, 10.92 7. ekaikasmin gane pañca pañca purusa bhavanti-Vitti to BrhkB, Vol. II,
1438. 8. Utkarşataḥ puruşapramāņam sahasrapşthakatvam-Vitti. to BrhkB, Vol.
II, 1443.