Book Title: ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 01
Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies
View full book text
________________
attainment of liberation by women amongst Jains. Setting such differences aside, we find Jain texts full of stories and incidences involving women deeply involved in the uplift of society and practice/preaching Jainism.
Lord Ādinātha, the first fordmaker of Jains of the preset time era emphasized the extreme importance of education for women. He therefore taught 18 scripts to his elder daughter Brāhmi and mathematics to his younger daughter Sundari (Adipurāna 96-115). This is perhaps the first mention found in Jain purāṇas of the women being taught thereby giving equal status to women to receive education.
The 19th Tirathamkara Malli Nātha is considered to be a woman by one sect of Jains while the other sect strongly refutes this statement.
Similarly we find mention of women in the life sketches of 22nd fordmaker Neminātha. Just at the time of his marriage, renounced marriage and became an ascetic. His fiancé, Rājula a princess, also renounced the household and became a renouncer. The ninth canonical limb, called Jñātadhārma-kathā mentions thousands of women going to Lord Neminātha to seek blessings to renounce the world and practice religion. We also find similarly a number of women going to the congregation of Lord Mahāvīra to seek blessings to renounce world and practice religion. Special mention during Mahāvīra's time is made of Celanā and Candanā.
3. Social reforms brought by Mahāvīra to elevate the status of women He affected tremendous social change through the promulgation of the socio-ethical values of Ahimsā, Aparigraha and Anekānta.
Ahimsā: In Ācāranga he says 'None of the living beings ought to be killed or deprived of life ought to be ruled or enslaved or possessed or put to unrest'. Further in Praśnavyākaraṇa he designates social Ahimsā as kindness, compassion, security, fearlessness and so on. Social Ahimsă of Mahāvīra begins with the awareness of the existence of others and their right to exist like one's own. He says that all living beings, like you, do not wish to have pain nor do they wish to die resulting in the current Jain slogan 'Live and let live'.
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
Page 171 of 317
