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2
A Study in the Origins and Development of Jainism
connotation and has become a nickname of the heretical tradition.
As has been meticulously brought out by many scholars, the Śramaņa tradition had a long history and passed through many stages of development before it could blossom into several schools and sects during the sixth century B.C. Though these schools assumed distinct personalities of their own, apparently quite different from one another, there are certain common essential features which justify their Šramaņa calling. A critical study of these schools and the antecedent developments taken together reveals the following characteristic features of the Śramaņa tradition.
(a)
it believes in wandering as a religious practice leading to the realisation of the highest spiritual goal. it is ascetic.
(b)
(c)
(d)
it holds a theory of rebirth postulating continuity of cyclical nature and regarding death merely a prelude to renewed life. a theory of karna which postulates that karma is the driving force of life and one's present and future existence is determined by the past and present actions respectively. it holds a theory of saṁsāra which postulates that all existing things are in the cycle of endless continuity. it envisages a theory of salvation which postulated, interalia, the cessation of rebirth and, thus, mişery.
(e)
(g)
(h)
it adhered to brahmacharya, having a definite connotation, as an essential exercise of the religious discipline. it did not delve into the problem of the origin of universe and took the world as it is, thus, rendering its attitude to be atheistic and realistic.
