Jain Journal 1977 01

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

Page 34

JANUARY, 1977
105
disadvantageous to the Jaina monastic organization in its usual environment.60 If, however, the social, political, economic and religious environment changed or the Sangha migrated or made vihārayātrā (pilgrimage) to a new location, then the same monastic traits might be of marked value for its survival. 61 Preadaptation of Jaina Sanghas reasonably explains such occurrences as the evolution of the wandering Jaina Sanghas, while internal changes of the Jaina monastic order are the raw materials of its evolution in its constitutional process. The evolution of new Jaina Sanghas thus involved both change and natural selection in their monastic life and conduct. New Jajna Sanghas evolved by the gradual accumulation of small changes in the monastic life and conduct arose in one step by a major change in the monastic organization as new gacchas or ganas or Sanghas. 62
Evolution of some Jaina Sanghas tended to progress in a straight line with side branches, e.g., evolution of Nirgranthagaccha up to Tapagaccha took place in a straight line. 63 Another type of evolution of Jaina Sangha occurred through simple monastic union or crossing of two different gacchs.64 Through such a union the best characters of each of the original ganas or gacchas were combined into a simple form thereby creating a new type of ganas or gacchas better able to survive than either of its parent-bodies in the new conditions. 65
Thus the theories of change, natural selection and population of monks provide one with a satisfactory explanation about the present-day Jaina gacchas or ganas evolved from the previous forms of Sanghas or gacchas or ganas by descent with modification in the process of history.
60 As for instance, changes in the monastic order of Tapagaccha and Kharatara
gaccha took place. The changes in Tapagaccha to Mandir marga and other things were important to it, while the changes in Kharataragaccha to occultism or Tantri
cism was disadvantageous to it, so it has declined a little. 61 Tapagaccha has originated in Rajasthan (Citor) and has migrated to Gujarat or
made viharayatra and has survived with its monastic traits even to-day. E.g., Lunka sect issued from Tapagaccha due to some change in monastic life and conduct. It rejected as apocryphal a certain number of the sacred texts, prohibited the image-cult and did not build temples and take part in pilgrimage. Similarly, Sthanakvasi sect was born of Lunka sect and Terapanthi sect from Sthanakvasi
sect due to certain changes and natural selection in the monastic life. 48 Nirgranthagaccha, Kotikagaccha, Candragaccha, Vanavasigaccha, Vatagaccha
and Tapagaccha evolved in a straight line, 4 E.g., Ladabagada-Punnatagaccha, Lekhanka 531, Citrasen. See Bhattaraka
Sampradaya, p. 252
4
Ibid.