A true
monk should have no desires, non attachments and should wander about as
the known beggar. He should live as a model of righteousness.
He is not to live by any profession or occupation; possessed of full self-
control and free from any ties, he should live the life of a homeless
mendicant.
The daily routine of a monk is well regulated and regimented. He has to
be severely solemn and is obliged to behave in a strictly reserved and
inobtrusive manner. He cannot indulge in singing, dancing, laughing or
any other from of merry- making. He has to devote much of his time to
meditation, study, and in the third part of the day he has to go only for
food and drink.
The Acaragasutra and Dasavaikalika present a detailed picture of the
strict rules for taking a midday meal. He has to be modest in behaviour
and give precedence to other receivers and even to animals. And such a
monk practising the rigours of an ascentic for the sake of a fuller and
more perfect life here and here-after is superior to all others, like a
trained �Kamboja steed� whom no noise frightens, like a strong
irresistible elephant, like a strong bull and a lion.
Four things of
supreme value are difficult to obtain in this world : 1) human birth, 2)
instruction in the Law (dharma), 3) belief in the Dharma, and 4) energy in
self-control. We must, therefore, make the most of what we have not
because tomorrow we die but because we become immortal and perfect. The
attainment of perfection is in the hands of mans; and knowing this, we
should avoid sense-pleasures which are short-lived and apparently sweet
yet fraught with the danger of losing all that we have, as a man lost his
kingdom by eating a mango fruit which was strictly forbidden by his
physician and as �forbidden fruit whose mortal taste brought death into
this world and all our woe.� Asceticism is the primary step for the monks
on their way to self-realization. External asceticism consists in dropping
one�s meals, in restricting oneself to a few objects and in begging for
food. These are meant for preparing one�s mind for self-purification. The
internal asceticism is mainly mental and it aims at purification in the
final form. It includes the control of the senses, subjection to
confession and atonement, readiness to spiritual service, study and the
practice of dhyana in gradual stages. And one who has given up all worldly
ties, is well-versed in the Dharma, who practices all codes of ascetic
life, is the sramana, a bhikkhu. A monk complies with the rules of
yati as regards posteriors, lying down sitting down, and is thoroughly
acquainted with the Semites and, guptis.
There have been conflicting opinions as to how the ascetic practice and
the monastic vows originated. Buehler held that most of the special
directions for the discipline of the Jaina ascetic are copies, and often
exaggerated copies, of the Brahminical rules for penitents. The outward
marks of the order closely resemble those of a Sanyasin. Jacobi seems to
support this view when he said �Monastic order of Jainas and the Buddhists
though copied from Brahmana were chiefly and originally intended for
Kshatriyas. This view was presented in the early stages of Indological
research but it is difficult to be accepted. What we call Indian
Philosophy is a synthesis of the Sramana and the Brahmana currents of
thought. The Sramana cult which was primarily ascentic in nature was
pre-Aryan. And �we should no more assess the Samkhya, Jaina, Buddhist and
Ajivaka tenets as mere perverted continuation of stray thoughts selected
at random from the Upanisadic bed of Aryan thought currents�. Dr. Upadhye
calls this Pre-Aryan current of thought as �Magadhan religion�.
All cannot
renounce the world, nor is it desirable. Most men have to live in this
world and work for their spiritual salvation, while engaged in daily
routine of empirical life. They are the householders (sravakas) . They
cannot practise rigorous discipline of an ascetic. They have to practise
the vows with less rigour, as far as possible, still without sacrificing
the fundamental spirit of the Vratas. The ethical code for the layman is
twelve-fold consisting of 1) five Vratas which are common for the ascetic
and the householder, except for the fact they have to be practised with
less rigour without sacrificing the spirit of righteousness and the main
goal of self- realization. Great physical and moral advantages accrue from
the observation of vows. It keeps the body and mind healthy and leads one
in the direction of maintaining moral strength, ultimately to lead to
moksa. The vows practised by the layman are the anuvratas (lesser
vows). In addition to 1) five anuvratas, he has to practise 2) three
gunavratas and 3) four siksavratas.
