Book Title: Sumati Jnana
Author(s): Shivkant Dwivedi, Navneet Jain
Publisher: Shantisagar Chhani Granthamala

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Page 309
________________ 286 ii) One confirmed by an Acarya but not initiated by him. iii) One initiated and confirmed by the same Acarya; and iv) One becoming a disciple of a particular Acarya purely for religious instructions. These students are broadly classified into three categories — (i) Seha, (ii) Antevasi, and (iii) Samanera. Sumati-Jñāna When the student was kept on probation, as explained above, he was called Seha and after confirmation, he was known as Antevasin. The word Samanera is explained as a junior disciple under probation. We do not understand exactly what it conveys. It is also doubtful whether the terms Seha and Samanera mean the same and used with respect to a probationer. When the student lives with the teacher and learns, he is called the Antevasin i. e., who desires to live with the teacher30. Unless this Antevasi shows implicit faith and perfect obedience to the Acarya, he cannot live with him. So faith and obedience are expected of an Antevasi. A student was also known as Khuddaga31. The Vavaharasutra32 mentions four types of Antevasins i. e., a student living with or near the teacher. This division is made on the basis of Uddesana i. e., instructions and Vayana reading. So it is understood that there are Uddesanantevasins and Vayanan-tevasins. The third category of Antevasins is the one which belonged to both these types. This means that they received reading as well as explanation from the same teacher. Finally, the fourth type is known as Dharmantevasin. After getting confirmed as students and on completing probation, they are expected to behave in a proper manner. Moral conduct was accorded the highest place. The disciple is expected to reveal his devotion to the teacher i.e. He has to help the Guru in looking after the old and lending requisites to those who are in need. This act is known as Upakaranotpadanata. He has to show perfect modesty in behaving with his Guru and wait upon him. This is called Sahayatavinaya. He should establish the proper position of his Guru by refusing those that condemn him. This is termed Vernasanjvalanata. He should maintain the morale of the company and help the newly initiated ones. He should not enter into quarrels33. A disciple is expected to have implicit faith in his Guru. He has to show respect to his teacher. He should not sit too close to his teacher or at his back or at the sides or in front of him. But he has to sit at a distance from him as the Uttarajjhayana34 puts it. If he is not asked, he should not speak. He should not indulge in back-biting. He should not laugh at the faults of the superiors3. He should not remain sitting when he was speaking to the disciples and should not criticize his Guru in any manner whatsoever. He should not interrupt his Guru while he was teaching and should not occupy a higher seat than that of the teacher. Unfit Students and Teachers The Jain canonical literature gives a list of persons who are unfit to be accepted as students. The Brhatkalpa37 says that persons of immodest nature, attached to forbidden articles of Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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