Out for a walk the other day, I found the path that snakes through the neighbourhood park teeming with ants and worms. I tried to walk as carefully as possible so as not to crush them, almost wishing I had a flywhisk like the Jain munis to sweep these tiny creatures away from my feet. Avoiding this inadvertent loss of life was one of the reasons that led to the tradition of observing Chaturmaas, largely by the monastic communities, but partially also by the laity.
Chaturmaas means “four months” in Sanskrit, and refers to the period when the monsoon holds sway over the Indian subcontinent. Prior to the arrival of motorised transport and tarred roads, travel was difficult during this time, with paths becoming rivers of mud, overgrown with plants and swarming with snakes and insects. Itinerant monastic orders brought their otherwise incessant travel on foot to a halt during this time, and spent the monsoon months in one place.
Partly due to practical difficulties of traversing terrain rendered inhospitable by the rains, and partly to keep from harming life-forms that multiplied during this time, Jain monastics settled in among the laity and used this time to give discourses and minister to their spiritual needs. In the Buddhist sangha, the monsoons marked a period of intensive study and meditation for the monastics. Known as Vassa, taken from the Sanskrit varsha and Pali vesso both of which mean rain, the tradition of the monsoon retreat began during the Buddha’s time and was probably an echo of the pre-existing tradition of Chaturmaas.
For the laity, too, Chatur-maas came to be regarded as an opportunity to become immersed in spiritual activities, because of the presence of monastics near them, and perhaps also because of their own enforced immobility due to the rains. Fasting and abstinence were encouraged during this time as means to direct the mind inwards.
Swati Chopra writes on spirituality and mindful living. Her most recent book is Women Awakened: Stories of Contemporary Spirituality in India. Website: www.swatichopra.com
