Introduction to Jainsim

Author(s): Dewan Bahadur A B Lathe
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

Page 50

SOME ASPECTS OF JAIN
PHILOSPHY
VERY few men will be found ready to lear the claims of a
" religion that is professed by only a meagre two million people, to be considered as being one of the greatest faiths preached for the moral welfare of humanity. The standard by which the common man judges of the soundness of a theory, is the number of men who are willing to say 'yes' to it. When a comparative study of religions is begun, the attention of the scholar at once fixes irself upon those only that are numerically strong beyond comparison, While Hinduism or Christianity counts tens of millions, it is only with some difficulty that Jainism can advance a little further than the first unit. It is only of Jate that the great Comparitive Religionists of the west have had their eyes slowly opened to the hitherto ignored treasures of philosophy going under the common name of Jainism. But the question still remains, why this faith should show such a small number of adherents, if, as is claimed, its tenets possess that power to appeal to the sentiments of the highest men which all great principles are said to possess. While considering this problem, the critics of Jainism in modern times naturally avail themselves of the charge laid at the doors of this religion by its Vedic opponents. It is asserted with some show of reason that Jainism has failed to capture the hearts of mankind as it has rebelled against the very authority that holds sway over men civilized and uncivilized. The absence in Jainism of a creator who is only to be prayed to grant any boons that a disciple may chance to ask for, is thus said to be the reason why it claims such a small number of followers. This may or may not be