History of Jaina Monachism

Author(s): S B Deo
Publisher: Deccan College Research Institute

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S. B. DEO
may consider here some of the more reasonable views regarding the origin of Sramanism.
1. "Kshatriya Protest":
GARBE, JACOBI and others advocate the theory which seems to attribute the origin of Jaina and Buddhist monachisms to the result of a protest by the Kshatriyas against the class exclusiveness of the Brahmins.
GARBE remarks, “These two pessimistic religions are so extraordinarily alike that the Jains were for a long time regarded as a Buddhistic sect, until it was discovered that the founders of the two religions were contemporaries, who in turn are simply to be regarded as the most eminent of the numerous teachers who in the sixth century before Christ in North Central India opposed the ceremonial doctrines and the caste-system of the Brāhmaṇas."24
JACOBI seems to support the above view when he says that "the monastic order of the Jainas and Buddhists though copied from Brāhmaṇas were chiefly and originally intended for Kshatriyas."25
The theory seems to contain a part of the truth but not the whole of it inasmuch as the Jaina texts do give vent to the denunciation of the Brahmins as well as their elaborate ritualism.
But it should also be noted that the tone of the whole assault--as in the Uttarādhyayana,26 is rather against the degeneration of the Brahmin priesthood as such, and not against the idealised Brahmin. As a matter of fact the Jainas liked to call their Tirthankara as a 'māhana' who, they seemed to imply, was a symbol of purity of conduct.
Secondly, it appears as a somewhat contradictory phenomenon, that these systems which are supposed to have originated as a protest against the supremacy of the Brahmins, should retain caste distinctions among themselves, as would be clear from the fact that some of the early communities like the Nāya, Sākyas and others which had connection with Mahāvīra and Gotama Buddha respectively were given some concessions regarding their entry to the order.27
24. R. GARBE, Philosophy of Ancient India, p. 12. 25. SBE., Vol. XXII, Intro. p. xxx. 26. Chapt. XXV.
27. FICK, (Social Organisation in Buddha's Time, p. 52), remarks that the Buddhists also "stood as great champions for the purity of blood by keeping the family pure....and not to allow it to degenerate through mixture with lower elements".