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
the Acără ngasūtra does not contain the entire set of rules and regulations binding on the Jaina Order, yet it is assumed to represent the rules in toto.
(B) The Sources of Study A brief survey of the sources of study will not be entirely unprofitable. At the first place, it may be mentioned that the only purpose here is to introduce the books dealing with the monastic rules with reference to their utility and importance in point, and not to discuss them in their historical perspective. Our mission will be accomplished most successfully, if we take up the Buddhist and the Jaina sources separately.
It may be stated here that the main source of information as regards the conduct of the Buddhist monks and nuns in their daily life and the internal management of the Saigha is the Pá li texts which may aptly be discussed in two groups : - (a) the Canon or the Pitakas and (b) the Commentaries or the Althakathas. The Pali Canon consists of three Pitakas, viz. Vinayapitaka, Suttapitaka and Abhidhammapitaka, each Pitaka containing books as given below :
Vinayapitaka 1. Mahăvagga 2. Cullavagga 3. Pārājika 4. Pacittiya 5. Parivāra
Suttapitaka 1. Dighanikaya 2. Majjhimanikaya 3. Sam yuttanikaya 4. Alguttaranikaya 5. Khudda kanikaya
Abhidhammapitaka 1. Dhammasaigaại 2. Vibhaiga 3. Dbátukatha 4. Puggalapaññatti 5. Kathăvatthu 6. Yamaka 7. Patthāna.
The fifth nikaya of the Sultapitaka, the Khuddakanika ya contains the following fifteen books : 1. Khuddakapātha 6. Vimanavatthu
11. Niddesa 2. Dhammapada 7. Petavatthu
12. Pațisambhida
magga. 3. Udana 8. Theragatha
13. Apadāna. 4. Itivuttaka 9. Therīgātha
14. Buddhavamsa 5. Suttanipāta 10. Jataka
15. Cariyapitaka
To ascertain the date of composition of the texts that go to form the Pali Canon would, of course, entail a long discussion. It may however be opined in short that even the earliest text cannot be anterior to the First Sermon of the Buddha. Likewise the latest can in no case be posterior to the reign of king Važțagāmani of Ceylon in