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The śramaņi: The Worker
495
competent senior sādhvi and others from a pandit.74 Some sādhvis take a wider range of studies and prepare for examinations of Hindi literary societies or for college or university examinations. They study at the upāśraya and present themselves as private students. In this case they refrain from frequent vihāras, but move often from one upāśraya to another within some large city. Certain ones, just a few, pursue higher studies and prepare doctoral theses on doctrinal, philosophical or literary subjects.75
Scanning the whole scene and bearing in mind the average sādhvi from the point of view of her personal development and fulfilment, vocation and well-defined role within the samgha, we may put forward this remark: it seems desirable that the vairāginis should receive a solid, general education before dikṣā; then, that as sādhvis they should devote themselves as much as possible, in their own setting, to study of the Agamas, of the doctrine, of Jaina history, literature and iconography. Those who have done advanced study in
74 Certain pandits receive renumeration from the śrāvakas, others are unpaid.
75 In March 1977, 5 Sthänakavāsi sādhvis were working upon the following theses: - Mahāsati Tarulatā: "A comparative study of Kabir and Anandaghana,
Banārasidāsa and Srimad Rājacandra", a literary and spiritual treatise in
Hindi. - Mahasati Dharınaśila: "Navatativa", Jaina philosophy, in Marāțhi - Mahāsati Muktiprabhā: "A comparative study on yoga according to
Patanjali and Jaina doctrine", doctrine, in Hindi. - Mahäsati Divyaprabhā: "Arihaṁta", doctrine, in Hindi. - Mahāsati Anupamã: "A study on Hindi Jaina literature", literature and
history, in Hindi. (Information concerning these theses given to me by Mahāsâti Tarulatā). In January 1980, at Pune, 3 sādhvis were working
upon the following theses in Hindi: - Mahāsati Jñānaprabha: "Jiva tattva", doctrine. . Mahäsati Priyadarsanā: "Dhyana in the Jaina tradition". doctrine. - Mahāsati Kiraņaprabhā: "A study on the doctrine of karman", doctrine.
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