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BASIC JAIN CULTURE : NON-POSSESSION
The term 'Culture' has a deep sense and it is related with innate nature of entities. The refined form is called 'Sanskritai' and the pure stream of refinement is called 'Sanskriti' or culture. The culture is generally long-lasting because of it being a stream of developed innate attributes. The lexicons indicate the meaning of term 'Sanskrita' as refined or purified and culture originates from this form. Thus, its stability is self-established. In contrast, the non-culture loaded with many alien forms or mimicry- is unstable. This mimicry is a temporary and a borrowed form. It is never stable. For example, the purified gold has a form of the culture of gold and the form developing out of this purified form is called culture. Same should be taken in all cases. The people have taken the term 'culture' to indicate many meanings like the practical customs and rites, dress and ornamentation and the like. But it is pragmatic and not real.
The term 'Jina' is technical as well as pragmatic. It indicates those pure souls who have won over the karmas leading to attachment and aversion. The religion of the 'Jinas' is called Jina Dharma (Jainism). The Jain culture may be defined as a stream of Jina precepts which may be either pure themselves or be instrumental in purification.
Nobody knows how long this stream is continuing. The statement that it is the contribution of Rishabhenatha also is a realistic attitude rather than idealistic. In fact, he is the first link of this era in the beginningless tradition of ford-builders who have re-invigorated this culture. There are some people who have a miscomprehension that this culture is the contribution of the ford-builder Mahavira (last fordbuilder, 599-527 BCE). However, one should remember that the Jain Culture follows the fundamental, it does not go against the fundamental.
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