Page Text
________________
143
I made a resolve, 'If I am relieved of pain, I shall be a monk'. Next day, the pain subsided, and I became a monk'.
A complete account of the conversation between Monk Anāthi and King Srenika is the subject-matter of Chopter 20 entitled 'Mahānirgranthiya' in the Uttarādhyayana Sūtra. In this context, the illustrious monk narrated another type of helplessness which overtakes when a monk, duly initiated, does not abide by the code of conduct prescribed for a monk. Denouncing laxity in the strongest possible terms, the great monk said,
"Oh King ! Hear from me with full attention another type of helplessness in man. There are such weak souls who become lax in discipline even when they are the recipients of the benefit of the nirgratha religion "(5).
"Just as alkaline soil is unfertile, just as a debased coin has no currency, in the same manner, monks who use only the external marks of monkhood are worthless. Even a jewel made from glass may shine bright like a saphire, but to an expert it has no value. In the same manner, from one's external marks, one may look like a monk; but when the monk uses only the external marks he does not carry any value in the eyes of wise people"(6).
"A dishonest person (monk) who makes use of omens, dreams, etc., and who had addiction for ceremonials, wastes his life on false and wonder-generating arts. When his sins fructify, he has no escape"(7).
"A dishonest person (monk) who does not discard anything including food brought for him, food bought for him, regular food and food to be searched, who is all-eating like fire, acquires life in hell"(8).
Having described the conduct of monks who did not observe restraint, Monk Anāthī said to King Srenika the following very outspoken words,
soccāņa mehāvi subhāsiyam imam anusāsaņam
nāna gunova veyan
| SR No. | 022804 |
| Book Title | Agama And Tripitaka Comparative Study |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Nagaraj Muni |
| Publisher | Today and Tomorrows Printers and Publishers |
| Publication Year | 1986 |
| Total Pages | 804 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 19 MB |