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
length of the hair allowed to them being two month's growth or two fingers in length. The hair was not to be smoothed with comb and oily substance.1 The total number of equipments (parikkhara) and outfit allowed to the monks were eight only, viz., three robes, one begging bowl, a razor, a niddle, a waistband (kayabandhana) and a water strainer.2 Later on the use of light and simple shoes", and umbrella were made permissible to them as well.
The outfit and equipments sanctioned to the nuns were almost the same. The nuns could use a few picces of small cloth as bathingrobes (udakasatika), etc. in addition to those allowed to monks. Obviously the appearance of the nuns tallied with the monks
Dressed as above one can easily see a monk or a nun even nowadays in monasteries and outside particularly in Buddhist countries like Ceylon, Berma, etc. They may appear a bit modern owing to their use of things manufactured anew.
Causes of renunciation: Though renouncing household life had become a popular custom in those days, persons did not take to monkhood often without any reason. Sometimes they took to monk life because of their natural insight into the truth, while at others being impressed by the preachings of the Buddha or his disciples. Inauspicious circumstances such as child's or husband's demise, insight into the transient nature of bodily beauty, abhorrence to household drudgery, humiliation in worldly life or the like acted as the cause of renunciation. The Theragatha and the Therīgatha are replete with examples in point.
Bars to admission : At the outset there was no bar to admission. But experiences in monastic life constrained Buddha to be strict so far as conversion of a person was concerned. As such persons inflicted with either of the five incurable diseasses (leprosy, boils, eczema, consumption and fits), royal soldiers (rajabhaṭa), robbers, thieves, debtors, slaves (dāsa), persons with cut off or deformed limbs and persons sexually deformed or lacking any limb, for instance, a oneeyed person, a person with crooked limb, a lame, a person paralysed
1. CV, 5. 14, p. 195.
2.
ticivarañca patto ca, vasi suci ca bandhanam/ parissavanena atthete, yutayogassa bhikkhuno//
3. MV, 5. 3. 7, p. 204.
4. CV, 5. 11. 28, p. 219.
5. MV, 8. 17. 25, p, 309.
6. Vide Chap. II, See I. for details.
Samantapāsādikā, Vol. I, p. 233.