a green patch of ground wherein there are likely to be many living things; and they must carefully examine the ground a vāma’s length ahead (i.e. the distance of outstretched arms) before treading on it. A sādhu to keep this rule must, curiously enough, never cross the open sea,[1] though he may cross a creek. In order that a layman may keep this rule, he must strive always to act so as to give trouble to no living thing whilst he is walking, sitting, or sleeping.
To arrest the inflow of karma one must also guard the words of one’s mouth (Bhāṣā samiti): one must always speak kindly, never by word inflict pain on any one, and in every way strive not to sin through speech. The Jaina believe in auricular confession; and if, for instance, a man has eaten a potato but means never to do so again, he will confess his sin secretly to a sādhu, and the sādhu (if he is certain that the penitent means never to offend again) will inflict a certain penance according to the rules laid down in the Vyavahāra Sūtra, Niśītha, or Bṛihatkalpa. Should the sādhu, however, break the seal of confession and repeat what has been told him, he will have failed in Bhāṣā samiti and be guilty of great sin. Under this rule one must also guard against frightening any one by speech, making a mock of any one, or preaching false doctrine.
Circumspection must also be exercised about all matters connected with eating (Eṣaṇā samiti). A sādhu is only allowed to use fourteen kinds of things all told, inclusive of wearing apparel, food and drink. He has to beg for everything he eats, but even then his food is limited, for in order to guard against karma he must be careful only to take such food as is allowed to him, e.g. he must not take food underneath which a fire is burning. If it is raining,
- ↑ It was this interpretation of the rule which prevented any sādhu from accepting the invitation to speak at the Parliament of Religions in America, or from even deputing any one to go. The difficulty was solved by the lay community—the saṅgha—sending a layman.
