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Some Jaina Canonical Sutras c24: Chapter XIX: Nisītha and Mahānisītha Sūtras (Nisīha and Mahānisīha Sūyas)

Some Jaina Canonical Sūtras c24

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Chapter XIX: Nisītha and Mahānisītha Sūtras (Nisīha and Mahānisīha Sūyas)

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The *Nisīha*, which is a cheda sūtra, contains 20 chapters. Some have called it *Niseha* instead of *Nisīha*. The rules governing the life of monks and nuns and various penances by way of punishment for violating the rules regarding begging of alms, etc., are given in it.

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According to Schubring, the name is to be explained only as a cross form between *niseha*, ‘prohibition’, and *nisīhiyā*, ‘place of study’. In the *Samavāyānga*, possibilities of *ārovaṇā* have been described as parts of the *āyārapakappa*. But it is difficult to say in spite of its similarities with *Nisīha* (20) whether a particular text is to be understood by this term or not. That the *Nisīha* belongs to the *āyāra* is mentioned in the *Samavāyānga* (44a) in a manner that is self-contradictory (Weber, *Indische Studien*, 16, 254ff.). But it is suggested by the *Samavāyānga* (73b) where *āyāra cūliyā* must have meant the *Nisīha* and not the *vimutti āyāra* (II 16).

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The *Mahānisīha*, which is also a cheda sūtra, contains six *ajjhayanas*. It treats of miscellaneous matters, e.g. relationship between a preceptor and his pupil, Sumati and Nāila, daughter of Suyyasīvi, etc. This text has many topics common to those in *Nisīha*. W. Schubring’s *Das Mahānisīha Sutta* (Berlin, 1918) is worthy of notice. The text refers to two cities named Kusatthala located in Magadha (p 16) and Sambukka situated in Āvanti (p 27). It mentions a peculiar custom that when the dead bodies were not duly disposed of, they were left uncared for at the mercy of wild beasts and birds (p 25).

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The *Mahānisīha* deals with—(1) *Salluddhaṇa*, about confession and penance; (ii) *Kammavivāgavāgaraṇa*, a big central piece in prose dealing with the result of bad behaviour, chastity, sexual temperament, and moralistic thoughts, (iii) ritual and significance of the *pañca-mangala* and other formulas, (iv) the story of Sumai and Nāila, and (v) *Navanīya-sāra*. Here are found the account of Gaccha and teacher, with stories about Vaira and Kuvalayappabha; (vi) *Giyattha-vihāra*—Nandisena’s personal exploits, Asāda’s personal exploits; about confessions and penances, Medhamālā’s insufficient confessions; intercourse with efficient and inefficient monks; stories of Īsara, Rajjā, Lakkhanadevī-khandotthā and devotion to monkhood which can only be unconditional. Then followed two supplementary chapters: (vii) about, penances, and (viii) story of Sujjhasirī and Susadha These are the contents of the Mahānisīha. The Gacchāyāra stands in close relation with the Mahānisīha, for it has borrowed almost one-third of its contents from it

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In the Mahānisīha we find that he who in his strivings for the highest goal has his thoughts concentrated on his own self, will attain the best success. There are many who practise with a secret dart (salla), that is, an unconfessed sin in his heart. All their strivings are rendered nugatory. Only after complete confession is the pursuit of Dharma crowned with success. The reward of truthful confession is kevala knowledge. Many nuns attain release through confession and penance. Physical pain which comes from outside, seems to many to be more easily bearable than asceticism and self-discipline. Even an evil-doer often keeps silent tenaciously, although the king would reward his confession.

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In the Kammavivāgavāgarana, we find a description of sufferings of all beings in this world. Gods suffer in so far as they know that their glory will not last forever. Some do not believe in the salutary result of keeping out the influence of karma. Some creatures suffer misery uninterruptedly and have not a moment of peace. One should not think of women, nor speak to them, nor live in the same house with them, nor go about in their company. There are also women who are of the highest order. If an ordinary woman fails to get her wished-for object, her passion burns. If a woman controls herself, she ultimately attains salvation

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He who avoids intercourse, should abstain himself from possession and injuring beings. The opportunity of being awakened does not come again, if it is missed. A belated confession is painful but wholesome. Those who know about penances should inform others what they have to do.

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In order to consolidate the true knowledge, one can begin only by invoking the deity, and this act of showing respect to the deity consists of the five-fold formula of benefice (Pañcamangala) On an astrologically auspicious day the pious one after preparing himself by means of fasting goes to the sacred site, bends on his knees before the statues (padimā-bimba) of the saints and concentrates his mind on the first of the adoratory formulas, and on the following days on formulas 2-5. Release will be his reward who properly worships an *arhat* or *tīrthakara*. The worship has two forms: the ascetic life of a monk, and the mildly active life of a laity. The former is morally higher.

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Sumai and Nāila, two rich brothers of the laic-state of the city of Kusatthala in Magadha, are compelled to wander about on account of the loss of their property. On the way they meet five monks and a lay brother, and they join them. But Nāila, a follower of Aritthanemi, soon realizes that they are in evil company and he tries to persuade Sumai to leave them. In course of a dialogue, he refers to the blameworthy activities of their comrades. Sumai persists in accompanying them. The restrictions which Nāila demands are, in his opinion, impossible to observe. So Nāila has to leave Sumai. After five months there is a famine in which those seven perished.

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Under Navaṇiyasāra one should belong to a good *Gaccha*, which is conducted by a good *Gaṇin*. The order in *Gaccha* will remain valid up to the time of Duppasaha. The behest of the teacher should not be disregarded and elucidatory example serves the story of the five hundred disobedient monks of Vaira, who was followed by 1,500 nuns besides these monks. In course of a pilgrimage in honour of Candappaha, they commit many misdeeds. They are reminded of the evil consequences of their misdeeds but in vain.

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The sutta refers to the four kinds of teachers. Of these four kinds the *bhāvāyariya* is to be regarded as equal to a *tīrthakara* and his behest is to be obeyed like that of latter. The penance which a teacher is liable to perform is many times more difficult than that of an ordinary monk. He to whom the conduct of a *Gaccha* is to be entrusted should behave like a monk. The prestige of the teacher (*āṇā*) will endure till the time of Sirippabha. The text gives a description of persons not fit for the Order. If a teacher admits such men into the Order he would be guilty of a grave offence.

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According to our sutta the canon is to be handed down by the teacher in the correct form. In course of time many transgressed the sacred doctrine. A teacher harbouring false views is not destined for release. It has been implicitly stated in the Sutta that an *arhat* (apparently a teacher and nothing more as in Chap. V of the *Mahānisīha*) should never allow a woman to touch him on any account. The daughter of a *purohita*, who is in the service of a grocer, feels a longing for flesh and groats during her pregnancy and procures these by selling valuables belonging to her master. For this, she is home-interned by the king till her delivery. After she has given birth to a boy, she escapes. The child is well brought up by the king’s order, and is later made the superintendent of a slaughter-house (sūnādhi-var). This office earns for him sojourn in the deepest hell.

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In our sutta Nandisena is attracted by the thought of suicide. But a monk dissuades him by saying that he cannot bring about death by any means before proper time. Soon after that, harassed by tribulations, Nandisena intends to hurl himself down from the summit of a hill, but he has been dissuaded in the same way. First he must enjoy to the fullest extent his earlier karma and then live in self-discipline. According to the prescribed rule, he brings back to the teacher his monk’s vessel and proceeds as a laity to another place. One day to beg for alms he enters the house of a hetaira uttering the usual formula dhammalābha. She does not care for dhamma but is only after money and property. Through magic power Nandisena procures her 12½ Kotis in gold and turns to go away but stops on account of her importunities. He decides not to adhere to the diet rules so long as he is able to convert ten persons daily to the right faith. In course of time the hetaira loves him. Finally, he grows world-weary and returns to his teacher. The latter blames him saying that he has not lived according to his teachings, and has moreover traded in dhamma. Nandisena recognizes his sin and embarks on a heavy penance. He will be released when all his karma will be destroyed.

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Āṣāda, a pupil of Bhūukkha, has also resolved to commit suicide, but he has been prevented from doing so. But still he thinks of committing suicide. When at last he perceives this to be an act of sin, he imposes on himself a penance and dies without complete confession. His punishment is a series of existences. He attains Nirvāṇa after his re-birth as the son of a brahmin in Mathurā. None should think that penances do not purify. Self-mortification should be undergone in penances. The penance destroys evil. The confession is to be made to the Kevalin or the perfected one. Every impulse of sin binds Karman-misery. A layman can therefore never come above the middle stage of existence (majjhimā gaī) even when he confines himself to his own wife. Otherwise he will behave like the nun Medhamālā who cherished sinful desire for a layman, and came to the uppermost hell for not having confessed this breach of discipline. Distinction between good and evil can be learnt only by living in company with efficient monks in Giyattha-vihāra. On the advice of a Giyattha one may even take poison, for it will change into nectar, but nectar taken at the behest of an agīyattha will change into poison. One should rather live with a snake than with an agīyattha. One who breaks his oath is to be shunned. The first example of an agīyattha is the monk Īsara. As the first Tīrthakara goes into Nirvāṇa, the gods, in order to witness the event, appear on the earth. On that occasion the memory of his previous existences flashes through the mind of one of the spectators, he becomes a monk and attains Pratyekabuddhahood. Īsara asks this Pratyekabuddha about his origin, etc., and the latter gives him detailed information, but Īsara does not believe him. The Pratyekabuddha seeks out the Jina and becomes a gaṇadhara under him. When after the Jina's death he begins to expound the canon, it strikes him that the theory that he who injures an earthly being is a bad monk, is unfeasible. But he at once recognizes this thought to be a great sin and undertakes a fast and again goes to that Pratyekabuddha. The latter holds that on no account should earthly and other beings be injured. But Īsara is again of a different opinion, thinking how the Pratyekabuddha holds such a view when he himself eats food that is prepared in fire and does not at all live without water. He leaves him and decides to expound the Dharma himself. He then expires. The Gaccha of Bhadda consisting of 500 monks and 1,200 nuns, has the practice of taking only water instead of the fourth meal. Nun Rajjā falls ill for taking water. Some nuns thereupon resolve not to confine themselves to water only. Only one of them considers a previous karman to be the cause of her malady. At this perception she attains Kevala knowledge. King Jambūdādima and his queen Siriyā get, after many sons, the longed for daughter named Lakkhaṇādevī. Her husband dies shortly after marriage. The young widow is in great anguish. About this time a Tīrthakara comes to the country, and the king with all his relations gets converted to his doctrine. When alone the nun Lakkhaṇādevī once watches with envy the amorous sports of the birds and comes to regret her vow of chastity. Being conscious of her sin, she wants to confess and do penance, although through her confession she exposes herself and her people. This thought at last gets the upper hand. Thereupon under pretence of acting in the interest of someone, she makes enquiries about the measure of the penance to be performed in purification of her sin and actually performs it. But her sin is not destroyed thereby. She only hastens the punishment for her penance. In the next existence she is Khaṇḍotthā, the maid of a famous hetaira whom, however, Khaṇḍotthā far excels.

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in beauty. The hetaira therefore decides to cut off her ears, nose and lips, so that she may never again gain the favour of male admirers; but intends to spare her life. Khandotthā, however, is forewarned by a dream and flies. After long wanderings she comes to the city of Samkhanda, and is there married by a rich man. The latter’s first wife, however, fired with jealousy, thrusts one night, while Khandotthā is asleep, a fire-brand twice into her abdomen, the corpse she throws away to animals to be devoured. The husband thereupon becomes a monk.

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Goyama suggests the theory that one can become a monk only through stages of successive corporeal existences. After attaining correct insight in one existence, one takes the laic oath in the next and so forth, till at last in nine further stages he reaches the height of monastic life. This doctrine will surely win over all those who cannot decide to be a monk immediately. A tortoise flying from its enemies finds refuge in a hiding place. From there it has a full view of the lotus pond with all its beauties. What it sees is taken by it to be the heaven, and it resolves to bring there its whole clan. But returning it cannot find the place any more. So also to the human being salvation is offered only once. Never again will he attain salvation, if the chance is missed. One should always be on his guard and contemplate the vastness of possible existences. The human being does not realize how injurious his desires are. In a moment his life may come to an end. Therefore he should fully utilize his time, and with tenacity and energy work for his salvation.

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He who transgresses the injunction of the Tīrthakara goes to hell. The monk who fails to follow the doctrine in the slightest detail cannot attain release. A monk or a nun guilty of transgression will be purified by penance only. The text refers to major and minor infringements of the rules of contemplation in shrines, of confessions, of residence, etc., and the punishments for them are mentioned. The Pacchittasutta is of very great importance. It deals with the observance of penance-rules, punishment for a teacher who is careless about them, and punishment for a Gaccha who defies these rules.

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A man of sound judgment will immediately take to penance for his own salvation. He who has become pure through confession, but again commits sin through negligence, goes to hell.

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In the city of Sambukka in the land of Avanti lives a poor Brahmin named Sujjhasiva. His wife dies while giving birth to a daughter named Sujjhasni. The cause of her mother's death is that in her previous existence as the subsidiary wife of a king she had desired the death of the mother of the heir to the throne in order that she might secure royal power for herself and her son Sujjasirī is very beautiful. During her adolescence a long famine sets in, and her father is compelled to sell her to a rich Brahmin overseer (māhaṇa-govinda). Being looked down upon in his native land, he leaves it, and becomes rich in a foreign country. After 8 years of famine the overseer becomes poor His eldest son is seen by his mother enjoying a repast of rice-dish with a prostitute He feels himself threatened, and frightens his mother so that she faints. Family, relatives and friends are empty words, in truth, everybody pursues his own object and does not care for his relations unless they are of use to him. Her own son is the example. One should therefore break this bond that causes nothing but misery, and devote oneself to Dharma.

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The daughter of a king, who is favourably disposed towards mendicants becomes a widow immediately after marriage. Her father puts her in charge of mendicants. She herself would have preferred to die on the pyre, as she would in no way dishonour her noble family. But the king, although overjoyed on account of her family-pride, orders her to follow his plan; moreover self-immolation is not the custom of his family. After his death, as he has no son, royal power goes to her. One day, in the audience hall, she notices a young man of great beauty and contemplates him with longing. He, however, as he is already inclined towards Jaina religion, resolves to become a monk. With that purpose he goes to Hiraṇṇakkuruḍī, in order to await a teacher there. The king of the country sees him and questions him about the name on the sealing ring (muddā-rayaṇa) on his hand The young man, however, would not give out the name of the man who gave it If the king, however, promises to embrace his religion, then he would reveal it to him. The king thereupon orders a sumptuous meal and gives the desired promise. The youth now mentions the name. He is captured by the enemy who has come to conquer the city As he knows himself to be sinless, he bravely offers himself for execution. He then resolves to become a monk. His whole retinue and the enemy also do the same.

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Here also is explained why his awakening was so easy. The youth was already a monk in a previous existence, but at that time had committed a verbal offence, which brought on him a life-long punishment. The youth, now a renowned teacher, repairs to Mount Sammeyasela in order to prepare there for death through fasting. On the way he visits the residence of the queen (*utthī-narinda*). After his sermon she too with her retinue resolves to embrace monachism, and joins the party. On the hill is to take place the great confession, and the teacher reminds the ex-queen that she would have to confess also the fact that she had once looked on him with sinful desire. She does not so frankly admit it with the result that she has to undergo many existences. A cowherd woman commands Sujjhasirī to come with her, and in exchange for that supplies the family daily with milk. At last the famine is over and Sujjhasiva, Sujjhasirī's father, comes back as a rich man. He notices the beautiful girl, and not knowing that she is his own daughter, takes her to be his wife. After giving proof of his affluence to the cowherd woman, he takes the girl home and lives with her happily Sujjhasirī then relates to Sujjhasiva the story of her birth. Sujjhasiva is ordained a monk and afterwards becomes a kevalin.

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Everyone has to expiate his own crime. But annihilation is effected by the control of functions, not through time. In time *karman* is not only annihilated, but also bound down. He who controls the functions, has no doubt to taste the result of previous *karman*, but gathers no new one One should not allow oneself to be guilty of negligence, then the *karman* vanishes.

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Sujjhasirī is pregnant with Sujjhasiva's child. She has therefore to begin her penance after child-birth. But she resolves to destroy her child and dies immediately after the birth. She is assigned to the sixth region of hell. The boy, whom she has exposed, is saved by a potter who, with the assistance of his wife, brings him up and names him Susadha after his own father. Later Susadha becomes a monk but on account of his infringement of the law of self-discipline, due to his imperfect knowledge, he is born repeatedly.

Cites (4)