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Pravrajya: The Itinerant Life
539
Persons in close relatedness to the sadhvis include: the ācārya and the munis, the śrāvakas and śråvikås. The bond with the acārya and the munis is close, even if, due to their itinerant life, they scarcely ever see them; these are links of spiritual paternity and fraternity. The śråvakas and śrävikäs possess this same bond with the sădhvis, but to a lesser degree.
Relationship with the munis
There are certain basic rules of conduct in this regard, starting from which each sampradaya and gaccha treat these realtionships with varying degrees of strictness or flexibility. These main rules are:
- munis are forbidden to stay in an upăśraya where sădhvis are in residence, and vice-versa; 33
- a sådhvi and a muni are forbidden to be alone in one another's company, and this applies to the acārya and even on the occasion of alocană; however, there are exceptions;
- in extreme situations and for the duration of such a situation, munis and sādhvis are permitted to stay in the same dwelling. Such cases are set forth in a detailed way: if, travelling in the same district both parties arrive near a forest which they do not have time to traverse before nightfall; or if they arrive simultaneously in an isolated place where they are unable to find two separate shelters; or, again, if they are endangered because of the presence of brigands in the neighbourhood so that the sădhvis have need of protection;34
- the acārya may visit the upāśraya of the sādhvis for spiritual purposes and also for setting practical concerns.35
33 Cf. Brks III, 1-2. In case of necessity, a brief visit may be paid from either side, just long enough to deliver a message, without the messenger sitting down in the upāśraya.
34 Cf. SthS 417.
35 Deo. 1956, pp. 380-381, where 20 reasons that justify these visits are listed.
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