Jaina Community a Social Survey

SR No.: 007019
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Vilas Sangve
Publisher: Popular Book Depot Bombay
Publication Year: 1980
Total Pages: 484
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 89

CHAPTER 3
SOCIAL DIVISIONS IN THE JAINA COMMUNITY
1. INTRODUCTION Just as there is an unusually large number of divisions in the religious sphere of a small Jaina community, we witness the same phenomenon, possibly in an aggravated form, in the social sphere of that community. We have seen that these religious divisions have created rival sections and sub-sections in the community to such an extent that sectarian feelings get an upper hand and make their adherents to forget the important fact that the Jaina Church was one and undivided up to the time of Lord Mahā vīra. Further. we have noticed that various sub-sects arose very late in the history of the Jaina Church and that in many cases their rise was inevitable in the sense that they were created with a view to meet the demands of the changing conditions in different parts of the country and to correct the laxity in the religious practices of several religious heads and pontiffs. Moreover, the influence of teachings of other important religions on the religious practices and behaviour of the Jainas was but natural and cannot be over-looked; and in this connection we find that the Islamic doctrines were more or less responsible for creating the non-idolatrous sub-sections in the two main sects of the Jaina Church. It is proposed in this Chapter to show the manner in which the Jaina community was divided and sub-divided in the social field.
2. JAINA CONCEPTION OF VARNAS OR CLASSES During the Vedic period (2000 B. C. to 300 B. C.) Pārsvanātha was the first person to launch a successful attack against the religious beliefs and practices of Brahmanism and the same policy was vigorously followed by Mahāvīra. The latter succeeded in getting a large number of followers whom he organised into a compact