Monks

Bhattarakhas

Nuns

Digambara Ascetism
In the Digambara Ascetism the monks are known as Muni or Muni Maharaj. They are organized in two different sanghas or groups which are known after the master of the group or Acharya.
The one who wants to renounce the world on religious grounds, begins to qualify successively for the 11 basic vows. He starts to control his behavior, to abstain from violence, to practice truth, to abstain from possession and attachment, and to live a life of a celibacy. Thus disciplined over a period of time, a person prepares for renunciation. He approaches an Acharya or the head of a group of monks and asks his permission for diksha, initiation. If the candidate is a grown-up person devoid of bodily faults and has acquired
the consent of his nearest relatives-parents or wife-he is given permission to renounce the world. The community gets together in a festive atmosphere. The candidate is dressed as a prince and taken out in a procession in a chariot or on an elephant. After that his head is shaved and he is offered the monk's attire. He is also given a new name which ends in such compounds as 'sagara', ocean; or 'ananda' joy; for example, 'santisgara " the ocean of peace, or 'vidyananda', joy of knowledge.

Among Digambara Ascetics three stages of monkhood can be distinguished. The monks of the first stage are called ksullaka and are permitted to wear two white clothes. Those of the second stage are ellaka and allowed to wear one loincloth. The monks of the final stage or the munis go naked. Also, different degrees of asceticism are expected during these three stages of monkhood. A ksullaka, for instance, is allowed to shave his head unlike the monks of the other two stages who have to pluck out the hair. A full monk eats once a day in standing posture, where as ksullaka may eat twice in sitting posture.

Daily Routine Of a Digambara Monk

A monk who has renounced the world is without a home and without possessions and therefore moves around completely naked. The only objects he is allowed to carry are a kamandalu, water-pot, and a pinchi, a fly-whisk of peacock feathers. To practice a strict and severe ascetic life, a monk always lives in the company of other monks. Normally a monk gets up before sunrise to carry out his daily routine. In an open field he finds a clean patch of ground devoid of insects, to perform his daily necessities. After washing his hands and feet (a monk is not allowed to take a bath) he comes back to his monastic chamber where he undertakes his daily samayika or study of texts and sits in meditation to identify his faults such as negligence in behavior towards living creatures. After this he goes to a nearby temple to perform chaityavandana or worship of the jina. On return he goes out for food to any of the shravakas (people of the Jain family) house for food. A monk keeps the thumb and the four fingers of his right hand joined together while resting on his shoulder. This is called ahara mudra. If he loses this posture on his way to the host-house-holder he is not supposed to eat on that day. This way the monk does not rest assured about the pleasure of obtaining food. A Digambara monk eats in standing posture from the hollow of his hands. The standing posture is prescribed because if a monk cannot stand anymore due to old age or illness the body is to be discarded by fasting till death (called as Salekhana). For eating or drinking he does not use any pots or pans. He eats the prescribed vegetarian food irrespective of preference. After having eaten, the monk goes back to the temple to practice samayika for at least 48 minutes in order to train his mind so that neither pain nor joy may affect him. If he then does not continue his journey on the same day he stays on and his admirers, the lay-community, gather around him to listen to his preaching. Afterwards the monks read together some scriptures or enter into religious discourses.

The monks usually spend the night in a windowless cell near the temples. In summer they sleep on the 'floor', in winter on a flat wooden board, covered with straw only. In case they feel cold they help themselves with yoga practices which warm up the body.

A monk should wander around in the dry season. He should not get used to one place, should be without a house and without any attachment During the four monsoon months, however, he should stay at one place together with his Acharya, master. because at this time the growth and development of vegetation and insects are rapid. While wandering, a monk is not allowed to use any vehicle or boat. He has to walk barefoot, avoiding big streets where possible. To cross rivers he walks along the bank till he finds a ford where he is able to cross over. But the water should not be deeper than the level of the knees. Also, he is not allowed to swim.

All Digambara munis have to pluck out the hair four times a year. This is done mostly in front of the lay-community of the village. First they rub ashes on their head, then they pluck out the hair in bunches. In case a muni is too old or too weak for this, he asks somebody to pull out his hair. Nowadays these tasks are performed by the temple administrators with great pomp. The hair is collected in cups and is auctioned to devotees for high sums. When a muni; is sick. he does not eat food or drink any water. Devotees surrounding him sing devotional songs in loud chorus. After his death the body is placed in a sitting posture in a wooden palanquin named chakdo. It is then taken around in a procession and cremated on a sandalwood pyre. According to old scriptures. however, the dead body of a muni should be put on a riverbank so that it is either washed away by the river or eaten by birds.

Monks and Nuns of the Swetambara sect
The Swetambara sect is divided into a number of sub-divisions, called gaccha, which is a community of monks. The various communities are known after their Acharya, the master. Such an order of monks and nuns is called samgha or samlldya and is again divided into various parivars, i.e. families. The head of each such family is a senior monk or nun. It is advised that the monks and nuns do not move in isolation and therefore the smallest group should at least consist of two monks or three nuns who observe, control and criticize each other. All monks keep a diary in which they note down all wrong thoughts, expressions and actions, like accidental killing of small creatures, sitting under electric lights, etc. Such a diary is sent at the beginning of the monsoon to the Acharya, who in accordance with the nature of the faults, prescribes penances of various degrees. Seniority of monk hood rather than seniority of age is the criterion for a higher position in the order.
Swetambara monks and nuns, known as sadhu and sadhvi, wear two white cotton clothes as garments. In addition, they are allowed to use various large wooden pots with strings while begging for food, and also to keep water pots in their monasteries and to possess a long stick" four different kinds of flywhisks, a small woollen carpet, a thick and a thin shoulder cloth, a cloth to filter water and another one as mouthpiece. They also carry ritual objects, manuscripts, books and writing paraphernalia. Monks and nuns live on food-begging and are not allowed to light a fire and cook food. It is also prohibited for them to take a bath and they are supposed to pluck out their hair twice a year.
 

Daily Routine of Swethambara Nuns and Monks

In order to sustain the five most important principles, the daily routine of a monk is strictly disciplined through anuvratas (vows) which incorporate not to violate any form of life, not to speak untruth, not to steal, not to possess anything, and to practice celibacy. As observed in a monastery in Surat, the nuns wake up shortly after 4 o'clock in the morning, wash themselves, say their prayers facing the east or north for 25 breathings, and repent for sins committed during the night. Then they greet their leader who tells them to put the bed in order, remove the dust in the room and to pick up creatures tenderly with one small fan of peacock feather. Then the namokara mantra the daily prayer of the Jaina, is said, after which the leader is venerated. The latter in turn greets her teacher installed as sthapana, cross-stand. The nuns greet their superior one after the other. After that each nun {decides which vow of the day she will keep; for example, to eat food without salt or sugar; not to speak during the day, not to drink anything, etc. The younger nuns once again turn towards their leader and vow that except the natural motion of the eyelids, they would not undertake any activity without her consent. Then they all go to the temple to worship the jina. On returning to the monastery or sleeping chambers the nuns repent for all the possible sins; for instance any creature unintentionally killed on the way or wrong thoughts coming to the mind. Then the head-nun allows them to go out to beg for food. But nuns and monks are allowed to beg only in places where there are no pregnant women and no beggars, where no dogs run about, where only strained water is used, and where food is not cooked specially for them. In most cases the nuns eat together from their pots after returning to the monastery. No food is wasted, even the water with which the lacquered wooden pots are cleaned has to be drunk. Mter the meal, the nuns may wash their clothes, write letters, read religious books, speak to guests or embroider the pato, the cloth with auspicious symbols. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon the bed is again made, dust is removed, insects are collected carefully and removed, and prayers are said. At 4.30 they go out once again to beg for food, for they must eat their evening meal before sunset, as after that they are not allowed to eat or drink anything. After this meal, nuns visit the temple a second time to repent for bad deeds and take a vow that till the next day they wjll not move beyond 100 steps in any direction. Monks as well as nuns often go on a pilgrimage, i.e. they travel to important holy places, where they lodge in Upashraya (temples). During the monsoon months, they are supposed to stay in one place. For this they are helped by the community which invites them formally through beautifully painted long invitation scrolls.
A large number of the Swetambara monks and nuns, even after fulfilling these daily rites, find enough leisure time to write important philosophical, historical and poetic works. To become a Svetambara monk an aspirant has to be at least eight years old and has to have the consent of his parents for doing so. In a li- tion he should not have any bodily defects, should not be in debt or facing a trial, etc. But it is not necessary, however, that he belongs to a Jama family. The person wantIng to take diksa (renunciation), should get the company of monks or nuns and should live during this time the life of a brahmacarya (maintain sexual purity). Young people first go through a preliminary of the actual monk. consecration, which is strengthened later on. The initiate keeps complete fast to prepare himself for the ceremony. He is dressed in beautiful garments and ornaments and is taken out in a chariot or an elephant in procession in which the whole community joins. The initiate may throw coins in all directions in a symbolic gesture indicating ritually the distribution of his wealth. Then his acharya, master, plucks out the hair on his head. The initiate is given the monk's robe and a new name which for monks always ends in 'Suri' or 'Vijaya' and he lives in one of the monks' groups. He visits his former family the next day to beg for his first meal.

When monks and nuns have reached the age where their physical existence becomes a burden, they slowly renounce food, i.e., consciously fast till death which is called Samlekhana. During this period the dying monk is surrounded by members of the community who observe him constantly, but refuse to give any food or water and make clear to him how useless his longings are, as his soul now finally will leave the decaying body. The dead body is dressed in fresh clothes and is tied on a bier and carried in a large procession through the streets with great pomp and joy. The dead body is put down in the evening in a crescent-shaped wooden boat and burnt with large quantities of ghee. It is said that the monk has crossed the ocean of life.

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