11. Food in Jainism

490 Begging and food : Jaina Monks on a begging tour had to observe certain rules which were prescribed by the canon t (sutovaditthena vihina)¹. Vn(P) gives a description of a pair of monks (samanasamghadaga) 2 on the begging tour at noon in Dasapura. They had as per precepts, taken up a path, where there was no danger of committing any himsa (tasapanabiyarahiena) ³ and were walking with there eyes set to a distance of four cubits (jugamtaraditthi i) 4. They stood on a place which was fit for them (sahujoge ya paesabhage), i.e. devoid of living beings. Monks when were 1. Ibid., 47. In fact those who were not taught the rules pertaining to the proper way of begging food, e.g. as given in the chapter on Pimdesana of Dasaveyaliya not allowed to go on a begging tour, Brhatkal pabhasya, Vol. I. 531; Vol. II. 1265. Ayaramga among the angas and Dasaveyaliya among the Mulasutras pertaining to begging of food. give rules 2. P. 47. On a begging tour monks moved in pairs, the rest were to look after the monastery; Deo. Op.cit. P. 307. 3. The monk was to see that on his road there are no living beings, mud, etc. See Dasaveyaliya, 5, 1, 3-7; Acaramga II, 1, 5, 2-4. 4. See Dasaveyaliya, 5, i, 2-3.

491 on begging tour did not make any discrimination between 1 those who offered alms due to status%; they begged at mansions 2 (panna) 3. so also at the huts of the low caste camdalas Normally a monk was not to conduct a second begging tour, but as Dhammilla imagines monks were sometimes compelled to visit the same house twice in case they got scanty food (mamdabhikkha) 4. So also in normal circumstances monks were not to accept invitations for meals but they were invited at their houses by householders to break the fast 5. In case a monk was to visit the house of his relatives he was accompanied by another learned (bahusuya) monk 6. 1. Precepts in the sutras to this effect are to be noted. Acaramga (II,1,2) and Dasaveyaliya (5,i,14) both tell that for a monk the only objective was of pure food, as such he should visit the places of people of both low and high status. 2. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 47. 3. Ibid., 39. 4. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 47. In cases like the above and in rainy season monks were allowed to have a second round for food; Deo, Op. cit., 306-07. 5. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 368. 6. Ibid., 20-21. Vavahara (6,1) (6,1) corroborates this information and states in addition that the monk was to accept only that food at the house of relatives which was not cooked after his arrival.

492 Acceptable and Non-acceptable food : The Jaina monks accepted only pure food (phasuya) l There is a pretty long list of faults involved in the preparation and acceptance of food in the ture of the Jainas². canonical literaOne of the basic concepts as regards the food proper for the monks was that it should not involve in any way killing of living beings. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa takes special efforts in telling why the plants and their products, aso also meat should not be eaten by ascetics. In the case of plants, the author of Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa tells us that they are living beings and, therefore, they should not be eaten ³. In the case of meat even a monk who consents to or indirectly asks others to kill animals becomes responsible for himsa 1. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 39. 3. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 267. Dasaveyaliya 2. Deo, Op. cit., pp. 170-173; 287-306. states that food mixed with flowers and fresh seeds, comprising bulbs, roots, fruits, 4 lotus stalks spronts of trees and other raw articles is unfit for a monk (5, i, 57-58; 70-75; 18-24r). 4. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa, 259.

493 Discussions in Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa about the non-acceptance of the above type of food are very clearly directed to dhistl the tapasas and the Buddhist respectively. Food given in the feast for the deads (piukicca) 2 3 and royal food (rayapimda) ³ were not accepted by the monks. a The food from the place place was not supposed to be conducive to the observance of vows' as it was spicy. Though the nine types of vikrtis such as milk, curds, butter, etc., were not supposed to be consumed in normal conditions, sometimes the monks are referred to have accepted ghee (ghiya) on the begging tour. This could have been for the ill.