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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66 STUDIES IN BUDDHIST AND JAINA MONACHISM wings, wit hersoever he may fly, carries his wings with him as he flies”.| Thus a monk could possess utmost a set of three robes, an alms-bowl, a needle, a rosary, a razor and a strainer only.2
(c) The Concession Allowed to the Ascetics In fact the Buddhist Order was an assemblage of renegades and apostates, who came from different sects and schools and joined the Buddhist Church. Some of them, although they adopted the new faith by abandoning the old ones, could not resist the temptation for their previous faiths. Thus the Chavaggiya monks who may be regarded as a symbol of the Lekāyatas, ie. the Materialists were always in the look out for finding some way out of the severity of the Vinaya rules. It was simply because they dared not pressing their demand for an easy-going life to the Buddha as they knew it well that their mission would not be adored with success. At the same time it should be borne in mind that their elusion was nothing but a mild revolt against the severity of the Vinaya rules.
Opposed to them were the ascetics on whose bones the foundation of the Buddhist Order had been laid. The first converts of the Buddhist faith, the Pañcavaggiya monks were none but the Brahmanical ascetics. So also were the Kassapa brothers and a host of others. They were, no doubt, in minority, but still dominated over the Order. Once a monk who might have belonged to or have been influenced by ascetic ideals came to the Buddha and requested him to introduce nakedness into the Order. Next to him Buddha's cousin Devadatta who was very likely a Jaina-minded monk took the lead. He approached the Buddha boldly with his five propositions that forest-dwelling, relying on food received only in begging-tours wearing clothes made of rags taken from dust-heaps, living at the root of a tree and complete abstinence from fish and meat should be made compulsory. When he came to know that his demand was not going to be fulfilled, he raised a schism in the Buddhist Order on the ground that Buddha's teaching was conducive to luxury. This led the Buddha to realise that it was not the voice of an individual, but of a large and influential minority'. Their strong leaning towards ascetic
1. Dialogues of the Bnddha, Vol. I, p. 81. 2. Vide Supra, p. 44, fn. 2. 3. MV. 8. 94. 45, pp. 319-20. 4. CV, 7. O. 14, pp. 237-300. 5. Ibid., p. 299, Cf samano pana gotamo bāhulliko bāhullaya ceteti. 6. Dialogues of the Buddha, Vol. I, pp. 218-19.