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KEVALAJÑĀNAVINAYATĀPASYA-SAṄGHA THE UNIVERSAL JAIN SAṄGHA (RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY) [43 of 78]

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APPENDIX IV

(The 3 Cords of Right Sight, Knowledge, Conduct and is given to Jain boys when they are declared capable of receiving scripture to study - A Special Annual Festival)

Origin of the Brahmins (227-256)

Then Bharata summoned the laity and made this announcement: You must take your food daily at my house. Plowing, etc. need not be done. Furthermore, daily you must give your attention to the study of the scriptures, acquiring new knowledge. When you come into my presence after you have eaten, you must say, 'You are defeated. fear grows. Therefore, don't kill. Do not kill (māhana).'” Agreeing, they took food at his house and carefully recited this discourse as well as the reciting of the scriptures.

Lost in pleasure like a god, the king, heedless, sometimes thought only of hearing these words: "By whom am I defeated? I know through passions. And from what grows? My fear of them (passions). So, I don't like to kill any living creature. So fear these men, possessing discernment, always remind me. Shame on my negligence! Shame on my greed for sense objects! Shame on my indifference to dharma! Shame on my passion for saṁsāra! Shame on conduct, the reverse of what is fitting for a noble man.” As a result of this reflection, dharmadhyāna progressed in him, heedlessly, like the flow of the Gaṅgā in the Lavaṇoda. Again, the king became absorbed in sense objects - sound, etc. No one is able to change karma which has pleasure as its fruit.

One day the chief cooks informed the king, "Because of the large number of people (who came), it is not known who is a layman and who is not." Bharata instructed the cooks, "After this, food must be tested are given, 'Are you lay people?'” “Who are you?” “I am a lay person.” “Tell us how many vows.” “Lay people don't have these (vows), but we always have five minor vows and seven disciplinary ones Vows.”[1] They showed those who had passed the test like this to the king. With the kauri jewel, the king made three lines, signifying right knowledge, right belief and right conduct, a mark of purity, like a garland slung over his shoulder. Every six months the new laymen passed the exam and were marked by the cowrie in the same way. By this feature they received sustenance and said aloud, "You are defeated, etc." From this they became māhanas (brāhmans). They gave their children to the sādhus; and of these some, disgusted with (worldly) life, took the vow from themselves. Some became laymen, unable to endure severe trials; they took food and were marked in the same way with the kauri jewel. Because the king gave it to them, the people also gave by faith. One honored by those who are honored, by whom is he not honored?

For the sake of their study, the Cakrin made the noble vedas purified by praising the arhats and right practices by the munis and lay people. Gradually the Māhanas became known by the name of the Brāhmans and, bearing the three attributes of the Kauri jewels, attained the state of bearing the sacred thread. This was the custom under Bharata's reign, but Arkayaśas made a golden sacred thread because the cowrie was not available.[2] Beginning with Mahāyaśas, some made silver cords, others made them of silver thread, and others of cotton thread. This custom prevailed through the time of eight men of Bharata: Ādityayaśas, Mahāyaśas, Atibala, Balabhadra, Balavῑrya, Kῑrtivῑrya, Jalavῑrya and Daṇḍvῑrya the eighth. By these kings half of Bharata was fully pleased and the crown of the Blessed One brought by Śakra was worn on their heads. It could not be supported by the entitlement due to its weight.[3] Because the load of an elephant can only be carried by an elephant, not by others. A disappearance of the sādhus took place between the ninth and tenth Arhats, and this continued through seven intervals between Jinas. The vedas, consisting at this time of praise to the arhats and dharma for monks and laypeople, were later made ignoble by Sulasā, Yājñavalkya and others.[4]

Source:

Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra vol. I, Ādīśvaracaritra, p. 343-345, given with more information in JAIN DHARM EK VEGYANIK DRSTIKON (Jainism a Scientific Approach), Saṁvara [part 1642] note 3 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/692614454130155/posts/1546499405408318/?comment_id=1546501998741392.

See APPENDIX VI below for requirements for new members.

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