Jaina Archaeology Outside India

SR No.: 007644
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jineshwardas Jain
Publisher: Bharat Varshiya Digambar Jain Mahasabha
Publication Year: 2011
Total Pages: 105
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 3 MB

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them. From such a community appeared Lord Christ who along with his followers also came to India and visited Jain saints in Taxila, after being convinced about the mysterious powers of Jaina saints in Greece etc. and studied the life lead by jain saints. When he went back to his place he started wandering naked and propagated non-killing, of animals, vegetarianism, loving even one's etc. His followers even saw in him such a divine power that they called him as son of God. It may be mentioned here that naked Jain saints are called 'Laghunandan' meaning he is going to attain nirvana after this present life. However, Lord Christ faced so much opposition by the then rulers of his place and the general people that he was hanged on the lamp post. It may be observed that a cloth was spread on his body so that the obscenity of nakedness may be avoided. In my view this opposition of his being naked could only be the reason of his crucification, otherwise a saint of his greatest caliber could not be any other reason of his hanging,
The relations between Iran and India were on very sound footing. There was a regular exchange of cultural activities between these two nations. Being neighbors, a trade link was setup. When the news of Lord Mahavira's attaining Omnipotence (Keval gnan) reached Iran, many Iranians came to ndia for Lord Mahavira's darshan. An Iranian prince, named Adrak, who happened to be a friend of Indian price Abhaya Kumar, son of Emperor Shrenik of Magadha also came to pay veneration to Mahavira. A famous Iranian saint Zoraster had already started opposing killing of animals. Shah of Iran had inscribed his orders to his public to follow non-killing of animals. Such an inscription can be found now in a place called Takhte Jamshed. In the middle centuries a group of jain philosophers went to Baghdad and they propagated the importance of Kindness to animals and fellow-beings, renunciation, non-attachment. A writer named Sujahat Nam-e-Nasir believed that a small community belonging to Islam was very much influenced by jaina religious principles. Hazrat Ali was an ancestor of people belonging to Alvia community who were vegetarian and kind hearted to animals. Indian scholars and jain saints were regularly invited in the darbar of Abbisi Khalifas. End result of this was that spiritualism and kindness to animals became a way of life in Iran.
The sufi saints were the outcome of believers of this philosophy. They also believed that as long as human senses are not in control, the peace and tranquility can not be established in the heart. The soul can be liberated from the body bondages only when the anger, deceit, pride are not destroyed with the help of non-attachment attitude with the worldly affairs..
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