Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

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

Page 36

THE SALIENT FEATURES OF JAINA ACARA
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in all cases never metallic but made of gourd, wood or clay.' Most probably payapuñchana was the same as rayaharana which was used for making the place of lying, sitting standing and walking lifeless. The use of a muhapotti to prevent killing of microscopic insects was a practice peculiar to the Jainas. Besides, a sect of the Svetāmbara monks, like the Brahmapical ascetics, also had a staff or danda.”
This was in brief the outward appearance of the Svetambara monks. The Digambara ascetics, as they lived naked (jahajaya)s and took food in the palms of their hands (panibaya)' actually had no outfit except a feather-broom (picchiya)" corresponding to the Svetambara payapuñchana or rayaharana and a kundi (water-pot).
As the requisites allowed to the nuns were almost the same as to the monks, their appearance was very similar to monks. A nun whether belonging to the Svetāmbara or Digambara? sect always used white robes, for neither the Svetămbaras nor the Digambaras advocated nudity for nuns.
Thus the main signs of a Jaina monk or a nun were his or her white robes which were three in number, begging-bowl, duster and the mouth-covering-cloth, the first and the last signs distinguishing him or her from the rest of the Indian ascetics. In this guise the monks and the nuns travelled from one place to another in the dry seasons bare-footed and without umbrella not sticking to a place more than five nights.
Daily duties of a faina monk : The Jaina monks, as a matter of fact, lead a very strenuous life throughout the whole day and night and try their best to stick to their daily duties even in course of tour. They divide the whole of the day and the night into eight equal parts called porisī, four of the day'o and four of the night. The duties to be performed in each of the eight porisis are prescribed thus in the Uttaradhya yanasūtra.
1. Ayar (SBE. Vol. XXII), 2.6 1.2-5 (pp. 166ft); Țhān, 170, p. 138a. 2. Nis, 1.40; Bhag, 333, p. 374b; OghN, 730, p. 218a. 3. Mül, 9. 15; 10.17-22. 4. Ibid, 9. 45-54. 5. Bhagavati Aradhanā, 6.38. 6. Ibid. 7. Regarding nuns among the Digambara sect Vide HJM, pp. 497f. 8. Ayar (SBE. Vol. XXII), 1.7.4 (pp. 67-69); Ibid, p. 67, fo. 3. 9. Perhaps the use of umbrella was sanctioned to old monks only, Vav, 8-5. 10. Uttar, 26. 11. 11. Ibid, 26. 17.