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Buddhist System of Education
57
An Upajjhāya used to teach the novice on the moral rules of conduct, while an Acariya used to look after his spiritual life and progress. A pupil attached to an Upajjhāya is known as the Saddhivihärika while that to an Acariya is called the Antevāsika. An Upajihāya should treat a Saddhivihārika as a son while a Saddhivihārika should regard an Upajjhāya as a father. Similarly an Acariya should treat an Antevāsika as a son while an Antevāsika should regard an Acariya as a father. In the Buddhist texts this method is technically known as the Nissayasampatti, i. e. complete dependence of the pupil on the preceptor concerned. The period of dependence generally lasted for ten years. But the period could be relaxed in case of an experienced, competent monk who had to live five years only in dependence, but an unlearned one all his life. An experienced and competent monk of ten years or of more than ten years standing was competent to give guidance to the monks." The preceptors were mainly responsible for the education and moral conduct of the novices in the Sangha. A young novice, had to select his own Upajjhāya and Acariya from amongst the experienced and competent monks. He should choose them thus placing his upper robe over one shoulder he should salute the feet of the Upajjhāya and Acariya and squatting on the ground pray unto them with folded hands thrice to be his Upajjhāya and Acariya upon which both the Upajjhāya and Acariya would declare their intention either by the gesture of the body or by specch.
The Buddhist system of education like the Brahmanical one prescribed the service of his pupils to their preceptors as a part of their education. There were two kinds of preceptors, viz. Upajjhāya and Acariya and to them were attached the Saddhiviharika and Ante. väsika. Their duties to their respective preceptors have been discussed in detail in the Mahāvagga. A Saddhiviharika should rise early in the morning leave aside his sandals, put his upper robe over one shoulder and offer the tooth-wood and water for rinsing his mouth. He should next prepare a seat and give himn rice-gruel in a pot. When he had taken the rice-gruel, he should wash the pot with water and keep it in a proper place. When the Upajjhāya got up the seat should be removed and the place, if soiled, should be swept. If the Upajjhãya wanted to go to a village for alms the Saddhivihärika should give him his robe, girdle and begging bowl. If he liked the Saddhivihārika to go along
1. 2.
Vinayapitaka vol. I, p. 80. Ibid. vol. I, p. 62.
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