ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 82

Aparigraha: Mah vira knew that the root cause of all ills associated with economic inequalities is disproportionate possession of wealth by few individuals. Thus he gave religious cum social overtones to non possession and asked his householder disciples to limit their possessions and consumption and share the rest (surplus) with others; while monks were asked to be free of any type of possessions (external or internal).
Anek nta: Mah vira realized that differences in opinions / viewpoints amongst different people emanate from their intellectual capabilities. These affect the social harmony more than economic or social inequalities. He thus said that differences in viewpoints emanate from the differences in the nature of things. These different aspects of things are to be understood as different aspects of the TRUTH giving rise to his doctrine of Nayav da or
Anek nta.
3.3
Uplift of women / according them and downtrodden freedom for religious pursuits His acceptance of food from a slave and destitute woman and making her the head of her nun community plus creating a separate community of nuns to practice religious activities was revolutionary in giving women the right to study and freedom to practice religion which was till then denied to them. This act greatly enhanced the prestige of women in the society and diverted the oppressed widows from the ills like self burning (sati prath) on husband's pyre or leading an oppressed life.
Similarly he declared that all living beings are equal rejecting the prevailing thinking of four fold societies into warriors, br hmanas, traders and udras by birth. He said one becomes great by his acts and not by birth. He opened his creed to all classes of not only human beings but all living beings. Samantabhadra rightly described his doctrine as Sarvodaya i.e. enlightenment of all.
3.4
Others
• Mah vira propagated the doctrine of Karma to hold the individuals responsible for their acts and the results thereof rather than someone else up above.
He used Pr krat language or the language of commoners and women, to deliver his sermons so as to make them accessible to the masses and not just a few learned scholars.
•
He extended the four fold vows (i.e. ahi s, satya, acaurya and aparigraha) to five fold i.e. bifurcate aparigraha into aparigraha and brhamcarya. He realized the importance of stressing celibacy as the men and women were becoming more prone to sexual attractions and indulgences.
4.
Making vegetarian and simple food in minimal quantities for sustenance as essential for spiritual and social uplift. Thus he rejected animal sacrifice or wanton killing of animals or destroying environment for physical pleasures or likes.
Jain preceptors and significant laity upto 18th centuries AD
Sixty four years after Mah vira's nirv na, existence of Jinas stopped. The era of preceptors / c ryas started. They tried to retain the teachings of Mah vira, document them and add new interpretations of social overtones so that the laity can practice them and perform their day to day worldly duties. Naturally differences in the interpretations of the holy texts started showing differences by different c ryas resulting in bifurcation of the creed and associated schism.
In the tradition of the first t rtha kara Adinath, emperor Candragupta (In the fourth century BC, first emperor of historical India and grandfather of Emperor Asoka) renounced his empire and accepted Jain muni life under the guidance of Bhadrab hu. Later he became an c rya as Bhadrab hu's.
The period starting 2nd century AD marked the beginning of writing the code of conduct for laity, known as śr vak c ras. Samantabhadra was the pioneering c rya who wrote Rattan Karanda Śr vak c ra, the code of duct for laity along with practical limitations and flaws of the vows prescribed for the laity. (109 verses organized in four chapters) along with explaining the three jewels (right belief, right knowledge and right conduct for the laity). Somadevasuri wrote Up sak dhyayana and Yaśastik campu defining lukika and p rlaukika dharmas of householders with a life story of Yasasvi. Afterwards more than sixty such texts were written by different preceptors indicating minor changes here and there. As dhara wrote conduct for munis and laity. Thus the whole period saw interpretation and adoption of the Jain canons to maintain harmony with the dominating religion/s of the time but keeping the fundamental tenets of Jainism in mind.
Simultaneously a number of preceptors also started writing story literature of various t rtha karas, 63 luminary persons to describe social interactions and adopting local non Jain customs in Jain religious and social rituals.
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0