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life-related values and overplayed the sufferings of worldly life. In their opinion the body is bondage for self and the world is an ocean of suffering. The main aim of life is liberation from both the world and the body. Negation of bodily desires, nonattachment or detachment, and self-satisfaction is the Summum Bonum of life.
The result of the importance given to life-related values of pravartaka-dharma on the one hand is that it developed a positive approach towards life which has to be respected and defended from all quarters; but on the other hand, the negation of life related values by nivartaka-dharma led to the development of the view which rejected bodily demands and further made body-torture its philosophy of life and also the symbol of spiritualism, Tapas and renunciation.
Since Pravartaka-Dharma laid emphasis on life related values, it naturally became society-oriented, because fulfillment of bodily desires, which include sexual desire, too, is possible only in society and in social life, whereas Nirvartaka-dharma became individualistic and withdrawn from society. Although action or karma was necessary for satisfying bodily needs, but when man saw that satisfaction of his bodily desires or their fulfillment or non-fulfillment depends on some other power, besides his own individual efforts, he became a believer in the divine and godly powers. Man conceived different gods and the Almighty as controllers of cosmic order and natural powers and started expecting their mercy and grace. On the contrary, Nivartaka-dharma supported passivity in practice and because of its faith in Karma philosophy started believing that the individual himself is responsible for his bondage and liberation. Thus Nivartaka-dharma began to have faith in philosophy of
37 Jainism and its History
| SR No. | 032590 |
| Book Title | Jainism And Its History |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Sagarmal Jain |
| Publisher | Research Foundation for Jainology |
| Publication Year | 2018 |
| Total Pages | 328 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 34 MB |