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INTRODUCTION TO JAINISM
the public didn't even notice what had happened, and the dance continued without interruption. But by his clairvoyant knowledge Rishabha saw through the trick, and suddenly became fully aware of the transitoriness of daily life. He understood the meaninglessness of the world and all its bustle. From then on he strongly desired to realize the reality of the spirit instead of being absorbed again and again in the unreal, transient, worldly life.
He decided to divest himself of all earthly things. He gave his kingdom to his oldest son Bharata and to his other sons, and decided to live the life of a śramana. Like all later Tīrthamkaras and also Prince Siddhārtha, he renounced all his jewels and other possessions as well as his head of hair. He sat down under an Aśoka tree and took the vow of complete renunciation of the world; and the same was done by 4000 followers. The hardships which befell them from that moment on were so heavy that only Rishabha himself was able to persevere. After a short period of ascetic practice and meditation the followers had all given up. Many of them began their own school, in which they emphasized a more moderate approach rather than the path of extreme ascetism. Thus 363 religions were born - and these are, it is said, all the religions the world has known since that time.
We could perhaps regard this as a formalized overestimation of themselves by the Jains, who want to see themselves as the origin as everything, and all other religious and philosophical currents as derivatives which have only sprouted from the failures of Rishabha's followers. In that case such a doctrine would only promote separateness, arrogance and conflict. The deeper meaning is that there once existed (and still exists - because we still live in the atmosphere of Rishabha's influence) - a universal or esoteric religion-philosophy-science, which, according to the character and phase of evolution of the various peoples on earth has been translated into exoteric systems on order to continually reach out a helping hand to humanity and promote its cultural self-development, until humankind is ready to stand face to
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