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
on the instance of the heinous crime of murdering a Brahmin known as mahapataka. This is only one instance out of many.
On the other hand there were some points on which both Buddhism and Jainism differed widely from Brahmapism. One of such issues was that of Varnāśtamadharma which ordains religious life after the lapse of a major portion of the early life. Buddhism and Jainism allow entrance into religious life at an early age because religion can be best cultivated when the sense organs are in order and good condition. Thus they maintain the principle- sariramadyam khalu dharma sädhanam', i. e., the human bodies indeed is the prime conition of spiritual cultivation.
The other point was the status of women in general and their competency in religious matters in particular. It has been noticed that the opinion which they held about women was not very high. The Jainas accepted the principle of-'puruşoitariko dharmah', that is, in religious functions the male members are superior in all respects. This principle was universalised and cases of controversy were decided with its help. In the Vyavahārasūtra we find a peculiar case of proprietorship regarding the projeny of renegade monks and nuns. The litigation arose when a monk belonging to a particular
gave up his robes and married a renegade nun belonging to another group. It was decided on the basis of the above principle that the projeny of such couple should belong to the group to which the male member belonged. The principle was raised to the status of a supreme law in contra distinction from the principle known as 'Land and Seed', 'Concubine and Paramour' which support the female side in such litigations. This shows that the Jainas like others were not prepared to give equal position to nuns with monks under any circumstance. It is not known when this attitude towards woman originated in the history of our culture. If the Buddha's hesitation to admit woman is a historical fact, the attitude is at least as old as the time of the Buddha. The ancient Jaina tradition which believes in a woman Tirthankara proves that the original Jaina view was radically different. In a section of later Jainism even nunhood is denied to woman, not to speak of Tirthankarahood or Arhatahood. In the ancient Jaina Agamas as well as in the Pali Tipitaka instances of woman Arhatas are abundant, though Buddha hood is denied to woman in the Páli Canon.
1. jarā jāva na pilei vāhi jāva na vaddhai/
jāviridiya na bāyamti tava dhammad samāyare Daso, 8. 36.