Ethical Doctrines in Jainism

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur

Page 30

ETHICAL DOCTRINES IN JAINISM
The sixth schism called Teräsiya or Nojiva arose in Antarañjia and was founded by Rohagutta 544 years after Mahāvīra's Nirvāṇa; and it propounded the existence of a third principle known as Nojiva in addition to Jiva and Ajiva.
The seventh schism recognised as Abaddhiya was started by Gutthamāhila at Dasapura 584 years after Mahāvira's Nirvāna. It held that the Karmic atoms simply touch the soul, but do not bind it.
DIGAMBARA AND SVETĀMBARA AS THE MAJOR DIVISIONS OF THE JAINA CHURCH: As we have already mentioned, these seven schisms could not maintain their separate identity and ultimately agreed with their original source; but the Digambara-Svetāmbara schism resulted into a sharp division of the church, and each sect claimed greater authenticity than the other. The traditional accounts regarding this schism evince wide divergence.
The Digambara account attributed the schism to a terrible famine which lasted for twelve years in the country of Magadha during the time of Chandragupta Maurya in the third century B.C. This led some of the monks to migrate to the South India under the leadership of Ācārya Bhadrabāhu, and the rest remained in Magadha with Sthūlabhadra. The latter, pressed by the circumstances, gave up nudity and wore a piece of cloth (Ardhaphālaka) at the time of begging. The conservative element protested against this, and thus these Ardhaphālakas. proved to be the forerunners of the Svetāmbaras. Finally, at the request of Candralekhā, the queen of king Lokapāla of Valabhipura, the saints known as Ardhaphālakas began to put on white clothes and were called Svetapațas.
. The Svetāmbaras record a different view of the Schism. According to them, the emergence of Digambaras is due to a certain Sivabhūti who 609 years after the Nirvāņa of Mahāvira founded a sect called Bodiya in the city of Rathavīrapura, and started nudity. When once he came late at night, his mother refused to open the door. Being frustrated, he happened to enter a monastery, and became a monk. When the king for whom he fought many battles came to know this, he sent him a valuable garment as a gift. The teacher of Sivabhūti tore off that garment. Being excited, he gave up all clothing and became naked. His sister also followed him, but later on she began to wear clothes on account of
1 H.J. M., p. 81.