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There was a similar occasion, and concession was made for the second time. In consequence, a boy below 15 could henceforth be initiated as a sramaner.
651
Meanwhile, a complete family was wiped out during a pestilence, and only two very young boys survived. This family was very much devoted to Ananda. So Ananda took pity on the two orphans. He presented their case to the Buddha requesting him to give shelter to them in the order. Said the Buddha,
"Ananda! Are these boys able to fly cros"?
"Bhante! They are".
The Buddha collected all his monks round himself and said,
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"Monks I permit a boy who is below 15 to be taken as a sramaner provided he is able to fly cros". (61).
The story of Rahula being made a sramaner is very interesting (62). On this occasion, the Buddha gave the following rule,
"Monks ! Without the permission of his parents, the son should not be initiated as a sramaner. If anyone does it, he commits a crime named dukkața" (63).
The above accounts reveal the Jaina and the Buddhist views regarding initiation of young boys into monkhood. According to Mahavira, the minimum age for initiation is slightly more than 8 years. According to the Buddha, a boy (below 15) who was capable to fly crows could be given the status of a sramaner. Sramaner in the Buddhist order is a step to full monkhood. On the whole, therefore, it may be said that young age has not been considered to be a disqualification for the purpose of spiritual practices in either order.
Position of Women in the two Orders
Mahavira's order was fourfold from the very start (which means that it included women with the same status
