Book Title: $JES 401 Jain Philosophy and Practice 2 Level 4 Book
Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Previous | Next

Page 242
________________ According to the Shvetämbars, the series of the Das-purvis (knowledgeable with of eleven Angas and ten Purvas only) completely ended with the death of Acharya Vajra. His death occurred in 114 Vikram Samvat (584 years after Bhagawan Mahävir's Nirvana). However, according to the Digambar, Dharmasen was the last Das-purvis, 345 years after Bhagawan Mahävir's Nirvana. After Ärya Vajra, there flourished Ärya Rakshita, who had knowledge of nine and a half Purva, remained Yug-pradhän for thirteen years. Keeping in view that disciples might have differently developed faculties of intelligences, understanding, and retention, he made four classifications of the Agams, based on the four viewpoints of exposition (Anuyoga). Until his time, each and every Agam Sutra work was expounded from all four viewpoints of exposition. Jain Ägams Jain scriptures, which was passed on to the generations' by Ganadhars and Shruta-kevalis, is known as Agam literature. These texts are the Holy Scriptures of the Jain religion. For further detail, refer to the chapter on Jain Agam literature Shvetämbars and Digambars: Jains were divided into two groups, Shvetämbar and Digambar, nearly six hundred years after the Nirvana of Tirthankar Bhagawan Mahävir. The Digambar monks are naked while the Shvetämbar monks wear white clothes. The process of the split started in the third century B.C. The famous Jain Acharya, Shruta-kevali Bhadrabähu, predicted a long and severe famine in the kingdom of Magadha in modern Bihar). With a view to avoid the terrible effects of famine, Bhadrabähu, along with a body of 12,000 monks, migrated from Patliputra, the capital of Magadha, to Shravanbelgola (in modern Karnataka State) in South India. Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 B.C.), who was then the Emperor of Magadha and was very much devoted to Acharya Bhadrabahu, abdicated his throne in favor of his son Bindusär, also joined Bhadrabähu's entourage as a monk, and stayed with Bhadrabahu at Shravanbelgola. Chandragupta, the devout ascetic disciple of Bhadrabahu, lived for 12 years after the death of his Guru, Bhadrabahu, in about 297 B.C. After practicing penance according to the strict Jain rite of Sanlekhana, Chandragupta died on the same hill at Shravanbelgola. This Bhadrabahu - Chandragupta tradition is strongly supported by a large number of reliable epigraphic and literary evidences including both Shvetämbar and Digambar traditions. When the ascetics of Bhadrabahu Sangha returned to Patliputra after the end of a twelve-year period of famine, to their utter surprise, they noticed two significant changes that had taken place during their absence. In the first place among the ascetics of Magadha, under the leadership of Acharya Sthulibhadra, the rule of nudity was relaxed and the ascetics were allowed to wear a piece of white cloth (known as Ardhaphalaka). Secondly, the version of sacred books (memorized version - no written book existed) that were accepted at the council of Patliputra in their absence, they found some inconsistencies. As a result, the group of returned monks from Bhadrabähu's group did not accept these two new things introduced by the followers of Acharya Sthulibhadra, and proclaimed themselves as true Jains. Eventually, about 600 years after the Nirvana of Bhagawan Mahävir, Jain religion was split up into two distinct sects: the Digambar (sky-clad or naked) and the Shvetämbar (white-clad). However, when it comes to the philosophy of Jainism, there is essentially no difference between these two major traditions. Differences are most marked in the rituals only. Both believe in Non-violence and Multiplicity of point of view. Therefore in spite of the differences one can practice Jain way of life with five minor vows of house holder, and control over four passions with mind, speech and body, maintaining a unity in diversity. Differences between Digambars and Shvetämbars: The Digambars believe that no original canonical text exists now. They believe that all the texts were written after last Shruta-Kevali Bhadrabahu's time, and therefore are incomplete. The Shvetämbars still preserve a good number of what they believe are original scriptures. 242 JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE - 2

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268