JAINISM

     RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS OF

         SIXTH CENTURY B.C.

      JAINISM AND BUDDHISM A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF                      TEACHINGS CONTRIBUTIONS TO INDIAN CULTURE

The 6th century B.C. constitutes an important landmark in the annals of Indian History. "This century is equally remarkable in the history of the world for spiritual awakening and religious upheaval. It was an age of extraordinary mental as well as spiritual countries. For example, it was during this period Zoroaster in Persia, Heraclitus and Permiades in Greece, Confucious and Lao-Tse in China propagated their new religions.

In India too, this century is credited with the emergence of two great religious reformers, Mahavir Jina and Gautama Buddha. They raised their voice against the prevailing brahmanical predominance in the society, unnecessary vedic rituals and sacrifices, costly ceremonials, the evil practices of untouchability and superstitious beliefs of Hinduism. Thus, as a protest against the prevalent religious system, they ultimately brought changes in the form of Jainism and Buddhism.

It was peculiar that these two great souls were unknown to each other. But they had raised their powerful voice against the elaborate rituals and evil practices in their respective socio-religious customs. So both of them led protestant movements against the existing system and succeeded to some extent. It has been rightly said:

'Both Mahavir and Buddha urged their followers to give up their vices and follies and to practise that purity of conduct and sincerity of belief which is the essence of every true religion.'

                                          JAINISM

ORIGIN -:

Jainism has a great antiquity. According to the Jains their religion originated in the remotest age. They believe that Mahavir, the last tirthankara was preceded by twenty-three other prophets. Mahavir was the twenty-fourth. First tirthankara of Jainism was Rishabhnath (otherwise known as Adinath) and Mahavir was the last one. The historicity of the first twentytwo tirthankaras starting from Rishabhnath to Neminath is doubtful. They are all shadowy figures wrapped in mythology.

The twenty-third tirthankara Parsvanath seems to be a historical personage. He was the son of king Asvasena of Benares who abandoned royal life to lead the life of a sage. His teachings gave a formal shape to Jainism better known as 'Chaturyama Dharma' having four postulates. They are

v : Non-violence             : Not to practice violence towards living                                                                                      

Creatures

v :Truthfulness               : To speak the truth and not to tell lies

v :Non-stealing               : Not to steal others' things

v : Non-possession         : Non-attachment for materialistic desire

The twenty-fourth tirthankara of Jainism, Mahavir followed his predecessor Parsavanath after 250 years. But credit goes to him for placing the religion on a firm footing. Mahavir improved upon an already existing faith and made it very widespread and influential His message endeared him to the heart of the common people.

It is, therefore, believed that if Parsvanath is to be credited as the Real Founder of Jain Faith, Mahavir is definitely the Best Preacher of Jainism.

                                 MAHAVIR JINA

Vardhaman Mahavir was born around 540 B.C. (or some historians presume 599 B.C.) in Kundagram, a suburb of Vaisali, now known as Baskunda (modern Muzzafarpur district of Bihar) in the Jnatrika clan. His father Siddhartha was the head of the clan and mother Trisala was the sister of prominent Lichchavi noble of Vaisali, Chetaka.

According to Jain tradition, Mahavir married Yasoda and became the father of a daughter named Priyadarsini. After the death of his parents at the age of 30, he left his home to be an ascetic. Mahavir Jina Then Mahavir sat in deep meditation for self-purification. At first, he followed the practices of an ascetic group called the Nirgranthas (Free from bonds). For over twelve years he wandered from place to place in the country subjecting his body to all sorts of hardship. For six years, his hardship was shared by another ascetic named Gosala Maskariputta of Ajivika sect.

In the thirteenth year of his asceticism, at the age of forty-two, Mahavir found from enlightenment of 'Kaivalya' on the bank of river Rijupalika in Jumbhika village, 'Kaivalya" is the supreme knowledge and final deliverance from the bonds of pleasure and pain... Henceforth, Mahavir came to be known as 'Jina' or the 'Conqueror'. His followers were called Jains and the religion became familiar as Jainism.

Mahavir spent the remaining thirty years of his life in preaching his own message which attracted thousands to his faith. His son-in-law Jamali was his first disciple. Mahavir passed away at Pawapuri (modern Pava near Rajgir in Bihar) in 468 B.C. at the age of seventy two. There are conflicting views about the date of his death, which was either 526 B.C: or 468 B.C. But in any case he was a senior contemporary of Gautama Buddha.

                TEACHINGS OF MAHAVIR

Many religious movements have contributed their different hues to the multi-coloured canvas of ancient Indian history. Among those religious streams Jainism occupies a prominent position for its rational approach. The main teachings of Mahavir are as follows :

Pancha Mahavrata  -:

Vardhaman Mahavir had accepted the four doctrines of Chaturyama Dharma of Parsvanath, the 23rd tirthankara of Jainism. To those four principles Mahavir added a fifth one, namely celibracy. Thus, Pancha Mahavrata constituted an important postulate of Janisim. It comprises of:

Ø :Non-violence to living beings

Ø :Speaking the truth

Ø :Non-possession of property

Ø :Non-stealing

Ø :Celibacy

 Among these five postulates, non-violence is considered the most important by the Jains. Out of different types of violence like accidental, occupational, protective and intentional violence, the householder is required to abstain fully from the fourth kind of violent activities. "To develop the practice of non-violence, one should try to give up worldly attachment.

Thus, by following these five doctrines one can attain eternal bliss or self-realisation.

Tri-Ratna -:

The practice of the above five principles or Pancha Mahavrata depended to a great extent on a pure and spiritual life. Then Mahavir prescribed three qualities to be followed which are better known as Tri-Ratna or three jewels of Jainism. They are:

1.  :Right Faith

2.    :Right Knowledge

3.  :Right Conduct

 Practice of these three qualities purifies the heart and soul. The practitioner becomes conscious of irrelevant worldly attachment.

Dual Existence -:

The Jain philosophy centres round the theory of dual existence of soul and matter better called as Jiva or Ajiva. These two things in a way cover the entire existence or universe in the form of Jiva or having consciousness and the Ajiva or lack of consciousness.

The universe comprises of Jiva and Ajiva: Jiva is divided into Immobile and Mobile group. The Immobile group consists of five ingredients like earth, water, fire, air and sky while in mobile group human being possesses five senses related to eye, ear, nose, tongue and touch.

The Ajiva comprises matter (symbolising the rules of the objects), dharma as the principle of motion, adharma as the medium of rest, kala representing time and space denoting void.

 Five Knowledge -:

Consciousness being the characteristic of a soul, knowledge is inherent in every living being. It is of five types. • Mati Jnana

Knowledge derived from the observation of nature through senses.

·       :Sutra Jnana                   Knowledge of scriptures.

·       :Avadhi Jnana              Knowledge of objects remote from come in   

                                             time and place.    

·       :Manah-paryaya Jnana  - Knowledge of another's mind.

·       :Kaivalya Jnana                    Supreme knowledge of everything.

The first two kinds are possible for any common man, the next two for the sages and last for perfect one who has become a Jina or has acquired supreme knowledge.

Doctrine of Karma -:

The link between Jiva and Ajiva is the Doctrine of Karma. It is the karma or action that decides the future of the soul. If a man does not perform the right karma in his life time, then he will face an unending cycle of rebirth. But through severe austerity and selfmortification one can reduce the influence of bondage and move towards liberation.

 Syadvada -:

Jain philosophy of Syadvada consists of seven propositions, seemingly contradictory but perfectly true about a thing.

·       It is (Syadasti)

·       It is not (Syadnasti)

·       It is and is not (Syadasti-nasti).

·       It is indescribable (Syadavyaktam)

·       It is and indescribable (Syadasti Cha avyaktam)

·       It is not and not indescribable (Syadnasti Cha avyaktam)

·       It is, is not and is indescribable (Syad astinasti Cha avyaktam)

For example, in relation to a particular boy a man is father, in relation to another boy he is not the father, in relation to both the boys taken together he is the father and is not the father. Thus, the philosophy of Syadvada is neither self-contradictory nor vague rather it represents a very comprehensive view of things in a systematized form.

Salvation -:

The ultimate aim of the Jains is to achieve salvation. To attain salvation of the body one must abandon all worldly attachments even one's own clothings, observing fasts, ascetic discipline and self-mortification. Thus, by severe austerity final liberation will come. Hence, monastic life is very essential for salvation.

Non-Existence of God -:

'God' or 'Creator' - These words were unacceptable to Mahavir. So the Jains never acknowledge the existence of God. They feel that the entire universe is not created by God. Rather it is moving on as per Laws of Nature. Man is a part of this universe. He is equally potential enough to solve his own problems. That is why the inherent qualities of human beings must be recognised properly.

Stress on Morality -:

Jainism stresses the principle of equality. To popularise this concept, once Lord Mahavir had declined the offer of a rich man of Vaisali and had taken the meals prepared by a prostitute. Thus caste system, authority of the vedas and vedic rituals were set aside by the Jains.

 In addition, to make human life more disciplined and regulated, Jainism recommended the rejecting of thirteen sins in the life of its followers. The thirteen sins are:

Ø Violence

Ø Intoxicating drinks

Ø Jealousy

Ø Lies

Ø Anger

Ø Quarrel

Ø Stealing

Ø Pride

Ø Covetuousness

Ø Masturbation

Ø Rage

Ø Levying charges

Ø Speaking ill of others

To sum up, Jainism is more a moral code than a religion in modern sense of the term. It affords an example of one of the most reformed rationalized religious faiths and brought into existence a comprehensive ideology including Indian religion, philosophy and culture.

For this spirit of accommodation Jainism has still survived in India today whereas Buddhism has to look for its shelter beyond the Indian shores.

    CONTRIBUTIONS TO INDIAN CULTURE

Jainism, like its twin sister Buddhism, received royal patronage and the spread of Jainism in different parts of the country seems to have taken place for quite some time. It took its deep roots in the soil of India through several ages. Even in the 21st century Jainism has stood firm among other religions of India.

A religion with such remote antiquity and rich heritage, Jainism had its natural contribution to culture and civilisation of the sub-continent of India. It has enriched Indian traditions in so many ways.

Language and Literature -:

Jainism has played a very important role in the linguistic development of the country Manim community is smaller in size but bigger are its contributions in the field of language and literature.

Prior to the advent of Jainism, Sanskrit was the medium of expression. The Hindu scriptures were written in Sanskrit. Even during the same period the Buddhists preferred Pali language.

The Jains were an exception to this. They preferred the regional languages for better understanding by the common people. They utilized the current dialects of different places for religious preachings and sacred literature. In this way, the Jains contributed to the development or Prakrit language. Even they gave a literary shape to some of the regional languages for the first time.

Mahavir himself preached his teachings in a mixed dialect called Ardha-Magadhi so that people speaking Magadhi and Souraseni languages could understand him properly. Later on, Jain literature was composed in Prakrit language.

Of late, a rich literature produced by the Jains has come to limelight. It is known as Apabhramsa literature which forms a link between the classical Sanskrit and Prakrit on the one hand and modern regional languages on the other.

Even in early Kannada and Tamil literature, we find traces of Jain influence. Further, the Jain texts of Anga, Upanga, Agama and Kalpasutra were written in Sanskrit.

Art and Architecture -:

Jainism has played a greater role in the development of artistic tradition of the country. It is true that the Jains did not believe in the existence of God. At the same time, Jainism inaugurated the tradition of worshipping the revered souls who were spiritually great. To pay respect to these souls, Jains all over the country erected several stupas. These stupas created in the honour of their saints are valuable gems of Indian architecture.

The stone railings, decorated gateways, stone-umbrellas, elaborate carved pillars and numerous stupas are the objects of appreciation for their artistic brilliance. Specimens of Jain architecture at Mathura, Bundelkhand, Udayagiri, Gwalior, Jain cave temple at Ellora, Dilwara Temple at Mount Abu, Junar and Osmanabad are the silent witness to Jain creativity.

The huge statue of Bahubalin, known as Gomatesvara at Shravanbelgola (120ft high) is a marvel by itself. The numerous Jain places of pilgrimage such as the Parsvanath hills, Pavapuri, Rajgir, Girnar and Palitana possess temples and other monuments of different ages.

The Jain images include a long list of Hindu deities namely Sri Lakshmi, Dikpalas, Kubera, Navagraha, Saraswati etc. Even one special festival called Jnana Panchami or Sruta Panchami is celebrated by the Jains in honour of goddess Saraswati.

Non-violence -:

Jainism influenced the Indian life style to a great extent. Its basic tenet of ahimsa or nonviolence has firmly been established as a rule of life. In the words of A.N. Upadhye:

'Jain literature includes myths, fairy-tales, proverbs, popular stories, model behaviour, patterns and moral exhortations, all of which unanimously denounce cruelty to living beings. All these have done much to discourage animal sacrifice. Most of the Indian religions have casually preached ahimsa. But nowhere except in Jainism is the basic creed so systematically worked out to pervade the entire moral code.'

Even in the 20th century, the apostle of non-violence Mahatma Gandhi, who gave a new lease of life to this principle was greatly influenced by Jainism rather than by any other Indian creed.

Society -:

Jainism has its lasting and indelible imprint on Indian society and social life. A.N. Upadhye rightly remarks:

'Numerous traces of Jain influence on Indian life can be detected. The worship of idol in a refined form, the building of temples, the founding of charitable lodges for men and animals, the preservation of rich libraries and manuscripts and the distribution of food and other necessities to the poor - these are some of the outstanding features of Jain society and to a large extent, they have been imitated by other Indian religious groups.'

The strict vegetarian habits of the Jains, to lead a life with minimum necessity, to bear no ill will towards anyone, to take recourse to fasting for self-purification, to undertake long tours on foot, to make contacts with the common people are the characteristics of Jain life style These various aspects have deep impact on Indian society in general for centuries.

Rise of Trading Community -:

In the beginning, Jainism was very popular among the traders and businessmen. The mercantile community was attracted by the rigorous asceticism and religious life of the Jains and adopted Jain way of life. Being bounded by a sense of fraternity, they formed business guilds for smooth conduct of business. These wealthy merchants patronised Jainism to a great extent.

Jainism is still a living faith in same parts of India. The number of its followers is more than two million. But its contributions are far more significant than its numerical strength. The tradition of art in India, enrichment of language and literature, propagation of non-violence autres treally praiseworthy contributions of Jainism. The religious ideals of the jains have also a teaching impact on Indian life style.

To conclude with words of Prof Radhakrishna:

"When the storm of persecution swept over the land, Jainism simply took refuge in Hinduism which opened its capacious bosom to receive it and to the conquerors it seemed an indistinguishable part of the great system.