________________
Jain Education
283
Uvatthavana of the Jains is the counterpart of the Pabbajja and Uvasampaya of the Buddhists. Here there is a difference between the Diksa taken by the student of Jainism and the Pabbajja of the Buddhism. The Diksa of the Jainism is given to the persons who are interested to enter the manhood i. e., when they wish to join the religious order, they approach a Ganin or some one authorized to conduct this and express their wish. After getting satisfied with the intentions and determination of the person the Acarya gives him Diksa when his student removes his garments, etc., and adopts the entire procedure as laid down. From this time onwards, he learns the scriptures, etc. and devotes himself to the religious work.
The Pabbajja of the Buddhism, though in the beginning was a ceremony meant to give religious life to a student, it afterwards changed its aims and course. Here the boy in his eighth year is brought to a teacher and is initiated into studentship. The Uvasampaya is the ceremony in which the student, after completion of his studies, is admitted into the Church, who was till then called the Sramana.
The Uvatthavana, which is observed at the end of the studentship, is somewhat akin to the Uvasampaya of the Buddhism. The Uvatthavana13 means the 'preparation'. This is the ceremony conducted to admit the candidate into the order. This is the final consecration of a novice under probation.
From this account, we note that in the Jainism, the state of Diksa entered into by a student is the period when he learns religious scriptures and afterwards becomes a monk of the same order; whereas, in the Buddhism, the student learns all branches of knowledge as far as possible and enters the order of Church only if he wishes.
The Upanayana of the Hinduism is the ceremony performed to initiate the candidate into studentship. He will be taken to a Guru to whom he is entrusted. After completing his studies, a ceremony known as Snataka is conducted by which he is permitted to marry and look after the family. This clearly proves that in the Hinduism the knowledge imparted to a student does not entirely breathe the religious mission as in the case of the Jainism and Buddhism. As the Buddhism is subsequent advent after the Jainism, it did not insist on the monarchism itself, in its educational policy with the experience gained.
Though there are many units like Gana, Kula, Sambhoga etc., which may be administrative in nature, it was constant to have a hierarchy mainly looking after the moral aspect of the monks.
Teaching Staff
The Svetambara and Digambaras do not seem to differ much with regard to the hierarchy of the officers in Church. Among the officers, the teaching staff also occupies their prominent position.
The Hierarchy in Teachers
The hierarchy in the teaching staff is thus: The Ayariya or Acarya occupies the highest place. He is the head of the group of monks. He is regarded as the ideal in respect of proper moral
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org