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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THE SALIENT FEATURES OF JAINA ACARA
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between a monk and a nun is disallowed', but accepting any medicine, howmuch beneficial and rare it may be, from a nun is also prohibited.?
Any sort of physical contact between the monks and the nuns, as a rule, is not allowed. But the same is permissible in cases of dangers and difficulties. As such a monk must help a nun in case of an attack by a wild animal or bird, in order to save her from bad surroundings or to take her out of mud or water, at the time of getting into or coming out of a boat, if her mind is unhinged or in similar other cases. It is due to this strictness of the rules of behaviour that we come across Jaina nuns even nowadays.
Attitude towards heretics : Whatever might have been the reason, a survey of regulations in point would show that the Jaina monks were repeatedly warned to have no connection with heretics.
A place inhabited or frequented by heretics was deemed untit for the Jaina monks to live in and they were not allowed to stay with heretics even in the rainy season.4 Besides, they were neither permitted to go on begging-tour in the company of heretics5 nor to exchange food or requisites? with them.
Along with others, getting heretics' service in any form was not allowed to monks and nuns. Thus allowing the heretics to carry one's requisites, or to massage oneself!, or to prepare a foot-path (padamagga), a bridge (sankama), etc. 10 was against the rule of monastic conduct. Likewise learning from or teaching the heretics any of the sciences like the science of omens, astrology, etc. was disallowed.'1
Thus the attitude of the Jaina monks towards mendicants belonging to other faith whom they often called annautthiya, was on the whole not wholesome and good.
Monks' relation with laymen: Monks' relation with laymen does not seem to be relaxed in the least even though the monks were
1. Gacchācāra, 61, 96. 2. Ibid, 92. 3. Thān, 437, p. 327 b; 475-76, p. 352 a; Brhk, 6. 7-12. 4. Ayar (SBE. Vol. XXII), 2.2.2.11-13 (pp. 127-28). 5 Ibid, 2.1.1.9 (p 90). 6. Ibid, 2.1.1.10 (p. 90); Nis, 3.1--2; 15. 75-78; 16. 36-37; 12.41. 7. Nis, 1.40; 12.40; 15.79-98. 8. Nis, 12.40. 9. Ibid, 15. 13-65. 10. Ibid, 1.11-18. 11. Ibid, 13.12-29.
