Jain Journal 1975 07

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

Page 11

JULY, 1975
hierarchy, in turn, served the kings in the domestication of the people in later periods. Very extensive land grants to the Jaina Sanghas, Ganas, Gacchas, etc. and the inculcation of the reader with the reader of the Jaina monastic hierarchy fill up almost the entire epigraphic chronistic legacy of the time of the Indian rulers supporting or patronising Jainism in later periods".
The decisive feature of Jainism in the Ages of the Tirthankaras was a monastic order of wandering Jaina monks and nuns supported by the kings, the feudal princes, the Ksatriyas and the Vaisyas, etc. In the later periods it was a monastic landlordism pre-empting a vast area of the land as it is evidenced by the donation of land grants to the Jaina Sanghas, Ganas, Gacchas, etc.9 Primarily this institution facilitated at least formal obedience to the canonical prohibition of possession of wealth1o. All the requirements of the Jaina Cloister and the cult established for the Jaina laity and the maintenance requirements of the temple were apportioned among the peasants who, as hereditary tenants lived on the land grants allotted to them11. The institution is reminiscent of the monastic landlordism of Ceylonese Buddhism12.
At present the decisive feature of Jainism is a monastic capitalism as the socio-economic order has undergone a great transformation with the march of time, although the monks are free from the gross act of possession of any kind of wealth13.
• The Jaina missionaries educated the people in twelve anuvratas (small vows) and thus served the kings some how in the domestication of the people by preaching religion among them so that they might obey the law and order maintained by the governments of the ancient days. The Jaina mission never went against monarchy but supported it in a remarkable way. Acharya Hemacandra was not only the Guru of King Kumarapala, but was also his political adviser. 5 See Jaina Silalekha Samgraha, parts I-IV and Pattavalis of Bhattaraka Sampradaya.
Ibid.
'Ibid.
The Study of the Jaina Agamas clearly shows this fact.
See Jaina Silalekha Samgraha, parts I-IV.
10 Jaina Institution preached pancamahavratas. Non-possession of wealth was the last vow.
11 Jaina Silalekha Samgraha, parts I-IV. It is presumable that the land of Jaina monasteries was cultivated by the peasants.
12 Weber, The Religions of India, pp. 257-8.
18 Among the Digambaras the Bhattarakas are the possessors of wealth-land grants, etc, while among the Svetambaras the Yatis are the possessors of wealth but not the Munis. That is why a sort of monastic capitalism has cropped up in the Jaina Sangha as a result of contribution of wealth by the Jaina mercantile class raised on the occasions of different Jaina ceremonies, such as, diksaparva, ceremony of auction of fourteen dreams of Trisala, etc., peculiar capitalistic manner without having any sanctified seriousness. The money collected is kept in the bank and utilized in industry.