Book Title: Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism
Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur
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16
STUDIES IN BUDDHIST AND JAINA MONACHISM
: The first and the foremost duty of a monk after rising early in the morning, perhaps after attending the calls of nature, is to scan his requisites carefully and to reinove insects found therein to a place of safety.' Then he should do the works of his acārya, if asked for any, or devote the rest of the first porisi in study. This is in brief the daily routine of a Jaina monk to be followed in the first porist of the day. In the second porisi he should practise meditation and in the third he should go on begging. 2 The item of begging food and drink may be omitted in case of illness (a yaṁke), disaster (uvasagge), for the sake of tolerance (titikkhaya), in order to preserve one's chastity and guptis, out of compassion for living beings, in the interest of penance or fast unto death (sarīravoccheyanatthāē).
Study forms the main item of the fourth porisi. The different texts furnish us with certain details and also refer to a number of technical terms connected with study, some of them being saijha ya, vāyaṇā, padipucchana, pariyattana, etc. 6 The place of study is called nisihiyao which should be free from bones, flesh, blood, etc.? Study can be stopped in cases of fall of meteors, lightening, etc.8 During the rest of the porisi a monk should pay reverence to his gurū, perform kalapratikramaņa (confession of sins concerning time), and inspect his lodging and the place of easing nature in the closing part of the fourth porisi. Then he should practise the kārotsarga posture without feeling any pain. Lastly he should confess his transgressions committed during the day before the acārya and should seek absolution therefrom.
The routine to be followed in the night is almost identical with that of the day, i.e., in the first and the fourth porisis of the night a monk should study; in the second, he should meditate ; and in the third, he should go to bed.10
1. Uttar, 26. 21-31. 2. Ibid, 26. 12. 3. Ibid, 26.35. 4. Thān, 285, p. 213 b; Nis, 19.8; Uttar, 26. 37. 5. Vide Schubring, Doctrines of the Jainas p. 267. 6. Ayar (SBE. Vol. XXII), 2.9 ; 2.2.1.1, pp. 179, Nisihiya also means study
tahappagāre uvassae no tłånam (religious posturs) vā sejjan (night's
rest) vā nisihiyam (study) vā ketejjā.-Ibid, 2.2.1.1, p. 120. 7. Thān, 714-15, pp. 475b-476a. 8. Ibid, 714, pp. 475b-476a. 9. Uttar, 26.37-43. 10. Ibid, 26. 44-53.
