Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

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

Page 44

THE SALIENT FEATURES OF JAINA ACARA
Whatever might have been the reasons, sometimes the mendicants were thrown into the river. In that case they could swim across the river leaving their requisites behind. 1
.: Water travel was allowed to ascetics in unavoidable circumstances only. The ascetics, before entering into the water, wiped
odies thoroughly and crossed it by putting one foot into the water and the other in the air and without being touched or by touching anybody else 2 Coming to the shore they did not brush their muddy feet against the grass in order to clean.' Five great rivers, namely, Ganga, Jaunā, Sarau, Erävai and Mahi could be crossed more than twice or thrice within a month in case of calamities and dangers only."
Mendicants' life during rainy season: It was during the four months of the rainy season that the ascetics confined themselves to one place by biding farewell to their itinerary habits. The practice of the Jaina monks called vassāvāsa or căturmāsa, its English rendering being rainretreat or simply retreat, originally began on the fifth day of the bright-half on the month of Bhadrapada (August-September) and ceased on the full-moon day of the month of Kartika (OctoberNovember). Thus it lasted for seventy days only. But later on the duration of the period was extended to complete four months, starting from the full moon day of Asa lha (June-July) and terminating on the full-moon day of the month of Káruka. It was perhaps the difficulties arising from the scarcity of accommodation and provisions which were responsible for the curtailment of the duration from four months to seventy days because the ascetics had no liking for possession of properties or storing up food-stuff, etc. at all.?
In normal circumstances the ascetics do not stay in a house full of living beings, or in houses inhabited or frequented by householders and heretics”, the reasons being that the former has scope for inflicting injury to living beings while the latter for moral degradation.
1. Ayar (SBE. Vol. XXII), 2.3.2.2-7 (pp. 141-42). 2. Ibid, 2 3.2 9.10 (p 143). 3. Ibid, 2.3.2.12 (p. 143). 4. Than, 412, p. 308b, Nis, 11.42. 5. Kapp (SBE. Vol. XXII), p. 296, Samv, 70, p. 81a. 6 Nis, 10.40. 7. Kapp (SBE. Vol. XXII), p. 296. 8. Ayar (SBE, Vol. XXII), 2. 2. 1. 1 (p. 120). 9. Ibid, 2. 2. 1. 8-12 & 2. 2. 2. 1-8 (pp. 122-27); Nis, 10. 46.