Jainism in a Global Perspective - Collection of Jain papers of 1993 Parliament of World Religions, Chicago

SR No.: 014010
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Sagarmal Jain, Shreeprakash Pandey
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith
Publication Year: 1998
Total Pages: 402
Language: English
Classification: Seminar & Articles
File Size: 23 MB

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Jainism in a Global Perspective
looked upon as "heretical" of "reformed" or "Younger" in relationship with them. In an epic of academic adventure a group of German philologists assisted by able Indian, British and French scholars proved the independence, antiquity and importance of Jainism. A world-wide witness to these discoveries which went on until two World Wars ended the efflorescence of the European University is provided by Dr. Herman Jacobi's two volumes of Jaina scriptures published in Max Mueller's Sacred Books of the East series in 1884 and 1895. It is also probable that western perceptions of Jainism were at this time influenced by studies and reports sent home by missionaries, mainly British and American, who were working in Gujarat and Bombay. In addition travelers continued to tell of white-robed pilgrims, soul-inspiring temples and bird hospitals.
Having briefly looked back from 1893 to 1993, let us look onwards from there towards the present to select some work illustrative of the development of western perceptions of Jainism during the ensuing century. In the world of scholarship the epic of Jaina language and philological studies was continued. The riddle of the relationship of the various Indian languages and the languages used by Jaina writers in each era of Indian civilization was solved. Manuscript after manuscript was rediscovered, edited, collated and translated. Brilliant histories of the literatures were produced and due place given again and again to Jaina pioneering and leadership. By the late 1970s the world's most outstanding and successful scholar in the field was himself a Jaina who had made himself fully cognizant and adept with western as well as traditional method and thought.'
Important as were developments inside Jainology, especially in language, literature, philosophy, logic and historical thought, there were a number of new factors which brought Jaina teachings into a whole new and larger context. The consequences have not yet been properly worked out and Jainism academically still remains a happy hunting ground for philologists and textual scholars. The first of these is acomplete reorientation for the study of the History of Indian religions. The paradigms in academic use here to fore were laid down in the early nineteenth century by missionaries, East India Company officials and the Pandits who were working with them. The subject matter of their discourse and narratology