Jains Today in World

SR No.: 001794
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Pirre Paul AMIEL
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 360
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, History, Religion, E000, & E005
File Size: 24 MB

Page 39

10 JAINS TODAY IN THE WORLD
Buddhism for its part disappeared from India, in the XIIth century, to
6
blossom in several other Asian countries.
Facing the growing influence of Hinduism and Islam, Jains coped especially with Hindus by compromising. For instance, Śvetāmbara accepted the help of Brahmin priests for their rites, like marriage, and shared some temples, customs and "deities" with Hindus. Unfortunately, Jains never succeeded to become united again and, under the influence of Islam and for other reasons that we will discuss later, new fractions with different views arose from within the Śvetambara and the Digambara. In next chapter, we will look more closely these divisions with their founders, dates of appearance and main characteristics.
Within the Digambara, differences of practices and customs also appeared during these centuries, between communities like "mūla samgha" (original order), "kāṣṭā saṁgha”, “māthura saṁgha”, "yapaniya saṁgha", "dravida samgha" and between groups (gaṇa) like "nandi gana", "sena gana”, “simha gana", etc.
Within the Śvetāmbara, divisions in sections (gaccha) and in branches (sakha) increased continually culminating in 84 different sections under the leadership of different Acārya. The most important were the "tapā gaccha", "kharatara gaccha", "pūrṇimā gaccha", "sāgara gaccha", "upakeśa gaccha","anacala gaccha", etc. each with its particularities.
New Jain communities appeared. They were opposed to some practices like: the worship of statues, the rituals in temples, the lodging of monks in temples or in monasteries, the interpretations of various sacred texts, the authority of some religious leaders, especially of the "Bhaṭṭāraka", etc. As a result, major and minor rifts occurred over the years, between the Śvetambara as well as the Digambara, adding to