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1905.
The Swetamber and Digamber Jains.
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party merely for the sake of the religion. But the times were not favourTable and we had to go through the ordeal as best as we could.
Our fate was hard and it did not end there. We see among the Swetambers, the creation of a subsection of the Dhoondhias or Sthanakbasis in the year 1709 in the time of Vijayprabha Soori. They are mostly against current image-worship. They have adopted some modes of life and religious practices in contradistinction to those followed by the Swetambers. From among them sprang the Terapanthis in 1818 Vikram whose religious beliefs are a step further removed than those of their parent. Along with the creation of such divisions, the broad view of society with which it was closely bound together, has been narrowed. Special party question, aside from the general whole, have told much upon the community which has now lost its ancient, high and honorable position. The costly temples of Mount Abu, Ranakpur and other places are not the creation of to-day ; they were built when all the Swetambers believed in one common religion.
Unsettled times in conjunction with the effects of the creation of these ininor divisions, worked to undermine the whole fabric of society. Wealth gave way to poverty, learning yielded its place to ignorance, religious beliefs submitted to vulgar superstitions. In fact everything became topsy turvey, and as a drowning man falsely hopes for safety even in catching hold of a stray straw, so the man destitute of learning and religion easily became a prey of corrosive customs and habits which, in his ignorance, seemed good but which in the long run, proved baneful and nearly destroyed the originality of the real thing. Being accustomed to obnoxious and pernicious practices generation after generation the Jain of to-day who has not been fortunate enough to receive the blessings of education has for the most part still the gerin of obstinately holding his own way irrespective of the sound advices given to him by his well-wishers, and as such often proves a stumbling stone to progress.
We have got enough of this, nay, more than enough if we may be allowed to call it so. We are suffocated, we are about to nauseate, if no timely medicine is administered to us. Our dissensions and disaffections have made us weak and sickly and if the same desease is allowed to rule high over our constitution, it will end only with the nonexistence of our body. No true lover of society will tolerate it. We must at least find a way to achieve our purpose.
To try to make all Jains Swetambers, or Digambers, or Sthanakbasis would be as losing our exertions by taking water to the sandy deserts.
| SR No. | 536501 |
| Book Title | Jain Shwetambar Conference Herald 1905 Book 01 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Gulabchand Dhadda |
| Publisher | Jain Shwetambar Conference |
| Publication Year | 1905 |
| Total Pages | 452 |
| Language | Gujarati |
| Classification | Magazine, India_Jain Shwetambar Conference Herald, & India |
| File Size | 13 MB |