Gandhi Before Gandhi

Author(s): Bipin Doshi, Priti Shah
Publisher: Jain Academy Educational Research Center Promotion Trust Mumbai

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GANDHI BEFORE GANDHI
government and the social pressure of a population, made up of various elements which would not submit to oppression. I remark that in Europe classes lie in strata horizontally, and that in India the separation is by vertical fissures. I have known men of good caste and social position as gentlemen, who were not ashamed to have in their families, near relations of the grade of lower cast. Now, such a state of affairs would be impossible in Europe, and marks the enormous divergence of social customs"
Its spiritual philosophy and system of logic was too deep for common people, but it had its own system of ethics for the masses and those who understood this philosophy did join them. On several occasions we find from the Jain works that there were religious discussions between the Brahmins and Jains. The Jain philosophy teaches that such distinctions of caste are sure to arise so long as there is in human mind the vanity and pride of individual and family greatness. The duty of Jainism which existed side by side with Hinduism was therefore to look down upon this pride and to teach the people the true law of cause and effect. In this time the Brahmin priesthood was supreme. The barriers created by them were insurmountable. The Jain prophet Mahavira and his 23 predecessors had seen such or similar things in their times. They clearly saw the cause of this individual pride which became the cause of Karma, leading the man to be reborn as belonging to a lower family in comparison to other people.
Jain's View on Caste System
Jainism was existing and preaching doctrine side by side. It had witnessed from times immemorial the various divisions of the society. It loudly proclaimed that one who prided himself as belonging to a high caste should invariably enter into lower caste existence in his next incarnation
Buddhist view on Caste System
Buddha blamed the Brahmins and their whole society. He laid the whole blame at the door of the Brahmins and ignored the real cause of individual's thoughts and feelings. He wanted to smash the whole society for this one reason. It was like the mosquito and the man. He forgot the truth that by his side there were other philosophers whom it was impossible for him to vanquish. He, however, tried the experiment. The people crushed under the feet
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