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Some Aspects of Jainism
JAGAT PRASAD
The general belief among scholars as well as the reading public is that Jainism was founded by Mahavira, a contemporary of Buddha, senior to him by some years, so that, the important stages in his career preceded the corresponding stages in Buddha's, namely renunciation, enlightenment and Nirvāņa. The Jaina belief however is that their religion is as old as civilization itself in the modern sense of the word and it is worthwhile to examine their claim. The early history of man as it appears in Jaina Purāṇas is something as follows:
Time is divided into six Kālas or ages. During the first 3 of these, man had no idea of religion nor did he feel the necessity for it. This period was one of pure innocent enjoyment. No individual owned any property, and the requirement of every one in every way were met by Kalpavṛkşa trees which grew in abundance on the land. These trees provided food, shelter, clothing, light and everything else that man needed. Family as such did not exist, nor clan, nor the State. Parents died immediately on birth of twins, male and female, who took their place and began to live their own lives independently from the very beginning.
The three Kālas differed from each other only in unimportant details about the extent of happiness accessible to man. About the end of the
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