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The Social Atmosphere of Present Jainism
know of them when stating the number of actual official Jainas? And what does the Jaina community care for it who are bewildered at seeing the number of their followers dwindling away from year to year?
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They have much pondered over the problem and have been trying many remedies, but in vain, for nobody has as yet dared even to look with an unfriendly eye on the sacred institution of the castes and their strange laws, which seem as unfit as possible for the century of general awakening and of a reasonable economy of powers.
Well, what have they been devising after all? There are two distinct parties with distinct views and suggestions. One of them is the conservative party, who, ignoring the actual reasons of the evil, are inclined to derive every damage from the tendency towards abandoning old views and old customs, and from the increasing influences of Western education with its revolutionary conceptions and theories. They recommend, as the only remedy, to cling in all rigidity not only to the general customs and views of old, but even to such ancient regulations as their ancestors once had to introduce in order to redress the needs of their own time, however, out of place they may be in the present age. Thus, they forbid every closer connection and collaboration with heterodox people, forbid travelling to Europe, forbid the sacred writings to be studied by laymen and disapprove of any education based on Western lines. Narrowmindedness and an unreasonable conservatism can be said to be the chief characteristics of this party. Its spirit, though in a moderate form, can be said to dominate as yet with the majority. Still, this party has begun to lose ground, and it will soon enough cease to be taken in full earnest.
The other party denotes itself as the reform party. Having recognized with a clear eye the true causes of the rapid decline of Jainism, but still not daring to do anything openly and directly against the caste system, they have adopted an indirect way of fight
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