Jain Journal 1977 01

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

Page 36

JANUARY, 1977
107
(3) New Jaina Sanghas or ganas or gacchas did not evolve from the most advanced and specialized forms already flourishing, but from relatively simple, unspecialized forms. Thus they did not evolve from the large specialized Sangha, but from a group of rather small and unspecialized Sangha, e.g. there issued the gacchas like Kotika, etc. from the simple Nirgranthagaccha?2 in the Acarya period.'
(4) Evolution of Jaina Sangha was not always from the simple to the complex form. There had been many examples of regressive evolution of Jaina Sangha in which a complex form had given iise to simple ones also, e.g., simple Lonkagaccha with the idea of anti-image cult arose out of the large Tapagaccha—complex form of Sangha with all its paiaphernalia of image-worship, etc. Most of these simple sects had evolved from the parent-Sangha like Tapagaccha which was more complex than its offshoots like Lunka-mata and grand-offshoots—Sthanakvasi and Terapanthi sects. The present Jaina Sanghas-Svetambara and Digambara have descended from the Sangha or Sanghas that could evolve by modification and change in the monastic life and conduct. It shows that changes occurred at random, and not successively from the simple to the complex or from the imperfect to the perfect. If there was advantage to a Jaina Şangha in having a simpler organizational structure or in doing without some monastic structure altogether, any changes in the monastic order which happeneded to occur for such condtions would tend to accumulate by natural selection of the Sangha.
Evolution of Jaina Sangha occurred due to the adherents or population of laities, not because of individuals (monks) and by the process of change, natural selection and internal monastic general drift.
Evidences for Evolution of Jaina Sangha :
3. The literary and archaeological records provide direct evidences of evolution of Jaina Sangha and give the details of the evolutionary relationships of many branches of monastic orders descended from some parent-Sanghas. There are, moreover, a great many facts from all of the sub-divisions of social science which acquire significance and make sense only when viewed against the background of evolution in order to judge the evolution of Jaina Sangha. From some records of Jaina literature and archaeology something can be told about its constitution and structures, 73
etc.
73 See Pattavali Samuccaya, Pt. I. 78 Records of Jaina literature and archaeology throw sufficient light upon the consistitution of Jaina Sangha, its structures, development and evolution and its monastic
jurisprudence up to the present day.