Introducing Jainism

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 10

INTRODUCING JAINISM
twelve years he led a very austere life and visited many places in Rādha, a country adjacent to his birth place. Vardhamāna (lit. 'the prosperous one') attained kevala-ship (lit. 'one who is recognized as omniscient) at the end of the twelve and a half years. Then he virtually got the titles Mahāvīra ('the great victorious'), Jina (the conqueror'), Tirthankara (the one who has crossed the ocean of this world'), Arhan (the adorable one'). After attaining this omniscient knowledge, he continued preaching and teaching his doctrines for the last 30 years of his life. During this time he organized his order of ascetics and gave it a proper shape. At the age of 72 in 527 B.C. he attained nirvāna ('Salvation') at Pavapuri.
He was "the prince of men, and he could be a king attaining graces as justice, vivacity, temperance, stableness, bounty, perseverance, mercy, loveliness, devotion, patience, courage and fortitude”, and yet he renounced everything in his life for the sake of searching the truth in order to get rid of the miseries and sufferings of this mundane existence.
Mahāvīra became a divine saint not by performing miracles, but he worked miracles and thereby attained sainthood. He emphasized man's being fearless, being valiant to perform miracles. His life tells us about his victory over fear which determines his divine quality.
III. What is Jainism
The word Jaina' has come from Jina which again is "The epithets" Enlightened one" (Buddha) and “Victor" (Jina) were applied to Gotama as well as to Mahāvira (and other founders of religions). However, whilst "Buddha" came to be the name of Gotama, “Jina" came to be the usual name of Mahāvīra, and his adherents called themselves “Jainas”, i.e., disciples of the Jina." It has grown customary to use the expressions “Jainism" and "Jainistic". However, as we never say "Bauddhism" and "Bauddhistic”, we ought by rights to say "Jinism” and “Jinistic" just as we say "Buddhism" and "Buddhistic". Scholars like A. Weber and Th. Benfey still considered the Jainas as a Buddhist sect. It has been proved by Jacobi (SBE 22, Introd., and in the introduction to his edition of the Kalpa-sūtra) that this view is erroneous." - Winternitz, Hist. of Ind. Lit. II p. 424fn.