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On this basis, he is given contemporariness with Buddha, Confucious, Lai Tse and Zermia etc. Similarly, he had seven other contemporary heretic scholars.
Many books have a number of mistakes about his life like (1) his place of birth (Patna), (2) age of initiation (28 yrs.), (3) acceptance of only peacock-feather broom (Pichhi) and (4) 70 years of fourth aeon remaining after Mahavira's salvation.
Almost all the authors have stated the harshness of austerities as sermonised by Mahavira. These are extremes. However, his philosophic concepts are fundamental and adventutous. He was a wrestler of spiritualism and escapist from the physical world. His sermons were generally meant for the minority of followers (monks). C. Jaina Tenets : (1) Ethics and Practices
The Jaina society may be classified in two categories - (1) Majority (laymen) and (2) Minority (monks). The monks practices are generally taken as model. In contrast, the conduct of laymen is practical. Currently, a third category intermediate between the two has also come to exist. Its conduct is nearly monk - like (but it has some freedoms like going abroad etc.). All the laymen have six daily duties. The detail worship is prominent among them. This creates a positive mental state. Fynes, Hopfe and others have described it on the basis of Svetambara system and no Digambara process has been mentioned despite Jaini's book. (1979)
Most of the western scholars presume Jaina tenets as tenets of austerity and salvation. Many authors upto 1995 have postulated them to be following detachmental path where the life and the world are negated and there is an idea of escape from both the corners. It is pessimistic towards life and the world and discourages every type of activities. Its ethics and practices are based on this concept. The Jainas are like Quakers - worshipper of peace and satisfaction. But their five principles of non-violence, non-false speaking, non- stealing, no - sex and non-attachmental possession are indicative of the tendency of the negation. Prof. Hopfe states that the laity generally observes the first three as far as possible but there is laxity in observing the last two. However, the monks and nuns do observe them fully. Secondly, all those five concepts have no boundary. They apply to all the living creatures. Prof. Schweitzer has said that these concepts are not the basic concepts of the Jainas. They are originated from their detachmental ideology which promotes inactivity in life. The Jainas talk about compassion etc. so that they may become detached from the world. What is the purpose there for others for them? They accept the passionate in activity and negate the sympathetic assistance for others. It is due to this that the Jaina ethics /practices promote individualism and egoism.
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Arhat Vacana, July 2000
