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THE JAINA COMMUNITY
DR. BHAGHANDRA JAIN D.LITT. NEW EXTENSION AREA, SADAR, NAGPUR-440001, INDIA
CONCEPTION OF COMMUNITY
Conception of community has been an interesting topic for discussion since long. It manifests relationship among institutions and points out variable influences of these elements extending through the breadth and depth of community. Arthur Hillman rightly says "A community, like any human group, consists basically of relationships between people with all that implies as to the diversity of individual reactions and of forms of social interaction."1
In western social and political thought both the terms "Society" and "Community" are employed. The former is usually received for those forms of association characterized by impersonal and pragmatic relations, while the latter refers to those contrasted forms of association based on positive personal relations as bounds.2 Lowery Nelson defined the Community as "the structuring of elements and dimensions to solve problems which must be or can be solved within the local area." "3
1. Community Organization and Planning, London, 1974, p. 3.
2. The Community of Communities by Radha Kamal Mukerjee, Bombay, 1966. 3. Community Structure and Change by Lowry Nelson and others, New York, 1960, p. 24.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF
JAINA COMMUNITY
In the light of these definitions and speculations, Jaina society may be termed as "Jaina Community" which states a particular form of social life, its cultural and ethnic ideas and values. It is originally based on the Jain principle of equality and equanimity which stresses on individual strives for all attainments and revokes the idea of God as Creator.
1. INDIGENOUS ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT DAY
Jain community is totally Indian in every sense of the term. Rsabha is the Adideva of the community. He is the originator of Sramanism, the culture of Jaina community. The nude figures excavated in Indus Valley and Lohanipur may be identified as the Jaina statues of Tirthankaras, most probably of Rsabha. The Jain literature describes the Kayotsarga posture of Rsabha in connection with his penance which is quite similar to that of these figures. The Indus civilization may be authored by the Dravidians and Vidyadharas who were the followers of Rshabha and his Sramanic culture. He is mentioned in the Rgveda (10.102.6), Visnupurana (5.3.20) and other ancient Vedic texts which depict the cultural aspects of Sramana Munis, Arhatas, Vratyas,6 and Vatarasanas of pre-Aryan religion, viz. Jainism. It is also an established fact that the Upanisadic philosophical speculations have deep impact of Jaina dogmas and ascetic practices.8
These references make compelling suggestions that the Sramanic system was prevalent during Vedic period. The Vedic Aryans were their opponent and
4. Rgveda, Kesisukta, 10.11.136.2-3.
5. Ibid. 2.4.33.10
therefore their antiquity goes definitely back to Indus Civilization and even earlier to that it was in existence. It is neither originated in and developed within the Vedic tradition. The cult of Rudra and Shiva may of course be closely associated with Sramana Culture led by the Jainas. Tirthankara Rsabha was its leader whose eldest son, Bharata, became the sovereign and Chakravarti. India was named Bharatavarsa after this emperor, Bharata.
Since its inception the Jaina community has got the characteristic of an unbroken continuity in all aspects. History shows that it has been in continued existence in all parts of India, even today.
2. RELIGIOUS, SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL NATURE
To understand the logic and characteristics of a Jaina community in its historical and social perspective, it is essential to understand its religious, spiritual and ethical nature. The purpose of religion, according to Jainism, is two
6. Munayo vatarasanah pisangah vasato mala, ibid. 10.11.136.2; Sivapurana, 7.2.9. Yatis in the Vedic period were mediators belonged to Non-Aryan group called Asuras according to the Sayanabhasya, Asuras were killed by Indra (Aitareya Brahmana, 7.8). The war between Devas and Danavas was the war held between Vedic Aryas and preVedic Aryas-Anaryas or Asuras (Sramanas), Matsyapurana, 24.37.
7. Ibid.
8. See the author's books "Jaina Darshan aur Sanskriti ka Itihas, Nagpur, 1977 and Jainism in Buddhist Literature, Nagpur, 1972, JFirst chapter.
"From modern historical researchers we come to know that long before Brahmanism developed in India into Hindu dharma Jainism was prevalent in this country."
-Justice Ranglekar, Bombay High Court
7TH BIENNIAL JAINA CONVENTION - JULY 1993 For Private & Personal Use Only
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