Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c22.15

c22.15

The higher ordination of the Upsampadā by which a Samaṇera completes his course of probation and enters upon the full membership of the Saṁgha for which he is destined and has been prepared since his Pabbajjā ordination, marks an important point of distinction between the Brahmanical and Buddhist systems of education. Under the former system, the Brahmachārin, on completion of his studentship, and coming of age, returns to his home and family as a *Snātaka* and presently marries and becomes a *Gṛihastha* or householder. His "going out of home" or *pravrajyā* was for a temporary period. In the case of the Buddhist, the "outgoing from home into homelessness" (agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajjā) is final. The Brahmanical system, however, provided for exceptions. Brahmachārīs were given the option to remain as such through life at his teacher's, and, after his death, with his family according to his choice [*Āpast.*, ii, 9, 21, 6; 8; *Gautama*, iii, 3, 7; *Manu*, ii, 247], the special designation of *Naishṭhika* being applied to them as a mark of distinction. But the exceptions became the rule in the Buddhist system. In the Brahmanical scheme, the final renunciation of the home and the world belongs to the third and fourth stage or Āśrama of life when the man, after passing the successive stages of the Brahmachārin, the Snātaka, and the Gṛihastha, becomes a *Parivrājaka*, a Bhikshu or a *Yati* or a *Sannyāsī*, a hermit and a wandering mendicant. The entry upon these stages of life is thus described by Manu: "When the Brahman who is living in the state of a householder sees his skin becoming wrinkled and his hair becoming grey, if he sees his son's son, then let him go forth into the forest. Let him leave all food, such as one enjoys in the village, and all household furniture behind him; to his sons let him commit his wife, and let him go to the forest, or let him go forth with his wife. Let the Brahman make the Prajāpati-offering and give all his possessions as remuneration of sacrifice; his holy fire let him take up in his own body, and thus let him go forth from his house." As Kern well points out, these Brahmacārins for life and the Bhikshus or Sannyāsīs formed the nucleus of different sects, each following the doctrines of its masters [*Manual of Ind. Buddhism*, p. 74].