Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

Author(s): Bansidhar Bhatt
Publisher: B J Institute

Page 56

5. REFORM RELIGIONS AND
VEDIC SACRIFICES
(a) Substantial research survey :
It is now clear from the previous discussion, that the ethical motivation of the ahimsa is secondary, the original motive was fear, a fear that resulted from the breakdown of the magicoretualistic world-conception, but it paved the way for establishing higher values (schmidt-1. p.655). It has also been discussed, that from the early times, meat-eating was not prohibited for the Buddhist as well as the Jaina monks and nuns, and even for the ta pasas - ascetics - living in the forest (cf. Wezler-1.pp. 99 fol.). The practice of meat-eating especially in Jainism appears to have continued till about the 7th century in Gujarat and about the 11th century in India as a whole. It is, therefore, quite obvious to state, that the theme of ahimsa had never been a burning issue for both religions for attacking the early Vedic or Brahmanical culture. It is wrong and unjustified to teach or propagate that Buddhism and Jainism opposed Vedic rituals and animal-sacrifices, that Buddhism and Jainism did not belong to the Indo-Aryan culture, that they strictly adhere to the principle of ahimsa and come from the Indus Civilisation, and last but not least, that their's is a śramana culture. On the contrary, their earlier canonical sources tell us something quite different, that both, Buddhism and Jainism showed basically no concern for sacrifices-acceptance or rejection of sacrifices -, or showed no concern over sacrificial offer, and that both were indiffernt in the matter whether a brahmin is superior or not.
(b) No one against Vedic sacrifices :
Many scholars have brought these aspects into light since (1962) the last thirty years. Their observations deserve our special attention particularly in the context of the ahimsa. As such, we first deal here with two chapters on the earlier ascetic poetry, viz. Chapter 12 (vss. 1-47): Hariesijja and Chapter 25 (vss.1-45): Jannaijja of the Uttarajjha ya - the first müla - sútra of the Svetambara Jains canon, on the basis of their critical study presented by Ludwing Alsdorf in his valuable contribution to the text history and interpretation of the Uttarajjha ya (Alsdorf2. pp.243-251 and Alsdorf-1. pp.47-49). These two chapters had
been earlier studied by a Swedish scholar Jarl Charpentier who