Part 2 - On behaviour

Q. 239. Bhante! How many types of behaviour (vyava-āra [vyavahāra?]) have been identified?

A. 239. Gautāma! Five types, viz., āgama, śruta, ājñā, dhāraṇa and jīta. Of these five, one who has the knowledge of the agamic texts should behave as per the āgamas. One who does not have the knowledge of the āgamas but has the knowledge of śruta (lesser texts), should behave as per Śruta. One who does not have the śruta knowledge, but knows the orders (of the previous preceptors) or their rulings, should behave as per these orders. One who does not have the knowledge of these orders, but receives the guidance (from some monk), he should behave as per guidance (held out by the monk). When even guidance is not available, one should mould his behaviour as per his own discretion. Thus one should follow one or the other of these five in moulding his behaviour depending on one’s access to anyone of these five items as per priority indicated.

Q. 240. Bhante! What is said about a śramaṇa monk who has the equipment of the āgamas?

A. 240. Gautama! A śramaṇa monk, who, being wholly free from attachment and malice, applies one or the other of the five types of behaviour depending on his access, is said to be the true follower of the order.

Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):

Q. 239. Inclination, detachment and knowledge thereof in a soul keen for liberation is called vavahāra or behaviour. Its five types have been indicated.

(1) Āgama-vyavahāra include supreme knowledge, psychological knowledge, extra-sensory knowledge and the knowledge of 14, 10 and 9 pūrvas.

(2) Śruta-vyavahāra includes the knowledge of the code of conduct, etc., prescribed in the sacred texts.

(3) Ājñā-vyavahāra stands for behaviour as per the order of some senior monk. This may be communicated from one person to another who is living at, a distance.

(4) Behaviour on the basis of special instruction from the Ācārya is called dhāraṇā-vyavahāra.

Behaviour to atone for some lapse is called jīta-vyavahāra.

(5) For the last item, the behaviour of some advanced monks which may be more rigorous may serve as an example.

The five are indicated in order of importance, the highest being āgama-vyavahāra, to that one who has it, makes use of it. In its absence, one is to depend on śruta-vyavahāra and so on down the line. Even within āgama-vyavahāra, one who has the supreme knowledge should base his behaviour on it; but in case one does not have it, he has to use psychological knowledge and so on down the line. In doing so with meticulous care, one becomes the true follower of Bhagavān Mahāvīra.