ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 98

3.0 Method of According Religious Freedom to Women and Downtrodden People Mah vra gave complete religious freedom to women. They were allowed to accept the life of asceticism like men. Mah vra himself initiated Candan into the ascetic order. In the Sagha of Mah v ra 36000 S dhv s were following religious observances. "The followers of Jaina religion have been divided into four categories, viz., S dhus, S dhvs r vak s and r vik S. S dhv s are female ascetics who follow the five great vows in a very strict manner. This shows that complete freedom was given to women to enter the ascetic order. Female sex was no bar to the practice of asceticism. The Jaina c ryas were extremely sympathetic in their attitude to women and admitted them freely into their order, no matter whether the candidates for admission were royal consorts, members of the aristocracy, and women belonging to the common run of society.
Religious freedom given to women enhanced their prestige in society. They were imparted education like men. As the full religious freedom was allowed to females, widows could devote their time for their spiritual uplift and thus carve a respectable position for them in their family and in the minds of people in general.
Mah vra based the fourfold division of society on activities and not on birth. He accorded full freedom to one and all including women and downtrodden people to perform religious practices and admitted them into the order of ascetics. Thus "the doors of Jainism were thrown open to all and equal opportunity was given to everybody to practice religion according to his capacity. Those who followed religion as house-holders were known asr vak s and r vik s and those who observed it fully by leaving their houses were called as S dhus and S dhv s."16 The Uttar dhyayana says that Harikesa who was born in a family of untouchables attained saintly character owing to the performance of austerities. Good conduct and not caste is the object of reverence. Merit is the basis of caste and the pride of caste destroys right living.
It is significant to point out that Mah v ra's social mind exhorted that Ahis consists in recognizing the dignity of man irrespective of caste, colour and creed. Man is man and should be recognized as such without any hesitation. The dignity of man is sacred and it is our duty to honour this dignity. Every individual, whether man or woman, should enjoy religious freedom without any distinction. A non-violent society cannot subscribe to class exploitation and social oppression of man. Mah vra bestowed social prestige upon the downtrodden individuals. This led to the development of selfrespect in them. Thus he showed that no man or woman should be deprived of availing himself of the opportunities of socio-spiritual advancement. 18
4.0 Method to propound the Philosophy of fighting Defensive Wars and of Vegetarianism
The term his may be defined as the committing of injury to the Dravya-Pras and the Bh vaPr as through the operation of intense-passion-infected Yoga (activity of mind, body, and speech).19 Suicide, homicide and killing of any other life whatsoever aptly sum up the nature of his , in as much as these villainous actions are rendered conceivable only when the Dravya - Pr as and the Bh va - Pras pertaining to oneself and to others are injured. The minimum number of DravyaPras has been considered to be four and the maximum has been known to be ten; and the Bh vaPras are the very attributes of J vas. The amount of injury will thus be commensurate with the number of Pr as injured at a particular time and occasion.
His is of two kinds, namely, intentional and non-intentional The intentional perpetrator of his engages himself in the commitment of the acts of his by his own mind, speech and action; provokes others to commit them; and endorses such acts of others. Besides, his that is unavoidably committed by defending oneself from one's foes is denominated as non-intentional defensive his. This leads us to the philosophy of fighting defensive wars.?
Now the householder is incapable of turning away completely from his; hence he should keep himself away from the deliberate commission of his of the two-sensed to five-sensed beings22 The commitment of his in adopting defensive contrivances cannot be counteracted by him. Thus he has to commit intentional injury to one-sensed J vas, namely, the vegetable-bodied, the fire-bodied
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0