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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46 STUDIES IN BUDDHIST AND JAINA MONACHISM acariya or an upajjhaya was termed nissaya (dependance). The nissaya of a novice towards the acariya came to an end, if the acariya and the upajjhaya came together.
A novice must behave decently with all monks senior as well as junior to him. He must also do all the menial works of the whole monastery in general and that of his upajjhāya and acarıya in particular. Accordingly a novice served his upajjhāya or acariya in many ways during a day. In the morning he supplied him tooth-cleanser, rinsing water, a seat and rice-gruel and washed the bowl of the rice-gruel. He made the necessary arrangements to enable him to go on begging-tour and also accompanied him. He returned earlier to him to provide him with a seat, water and a towel. In the same manner he helped him in his bath also.
The menial works of the monastery consisted of sweeping the different apartments of the monastery, ramoving the cobwebs, mopping the walls, casting aside the sweepings, brushing the furniture and utensils and keeping them back at their proper places.
A disciple may also guide his preceptor or teacher in doctrinal and ecclesiastical matters, if there is such a necessity.'
It is to be borne in mind that the duties of an upajjhaya? or an acariyas towards his disciple were almost identical with those of a disciple towards his upajjhāya or acariya.
Thus this identical list of mutual duties and obligations gives the impression that a preceptor or a teacher and a disciple were given the same status in the Church hierarchy. But actually this was not the case. There were laws which made a disciple subordinate to a teacher."
Relation between monks and nuns : It has already been remarked that the conditions laid down for the formation of the Order of nuns put the nuns under permanent subordination to monks. Not only a nun was denied the right of admonishing a monk while a monk was allowed to admonish a nun, but was also enjoined upon to bow down before a monk even just initiated. So also a nun, besides being debarred from reviling a monk and observing the retreat in an āväsa
1. MV, 1. 18. 64-66, pp. 42-47; 1.23. 74–78, pp. 56-62; CV, 8.12. 22-23,
pp. 332-36; 8. 14. 26-27, pp. 341-45. 2. MV. 1. 18. 67-68, pp. 48-51; CV, 8.11. 20-21, pp. 328-32. 3. MV, 1. 24. 79, pp. 62-65; CV, 8. 13. 24-25, pp. 336-40. 4. Vide Infra Chap. II, Sec. I.
