________________
OCTOBER, 1981
The Present State of Jainism
The great merit of Jainism lies in its spirit of accommodation about other's opinion or religion which follows from its logic, syādvāda, that treats all knowledge as probable and thus regards opponent's views as such as the views of a Jaina. Because of this attitude, it has been able to survive in India side by side with Hinduism.
The Jainas worship their 24 Tirthankaras as their principal divinities. Jaina texts like Acāra Dinakara, Uttarādhyayana Sūtra and AbhidhānaCintamani show in their classification of the Jaina gods and goddesses that "many of the subsidiary Hindu divinities were absorbed from the Brahminic pantheon.”55 Such divinities are : Sarasvati, Laksmi, Ganesa, Kubera, etc.
In addition to the above, among the Jainas, “confession is practised, great importance is attached to pilgrimages and four months in the year are more easily given up to fastings, the reading of sacred books, and spiritual meditations."56
The Jains have now a days entered into almost all the professions and businesses excepting that of selling flesh and meat.
The Stability of the Jaina Society
I have already referred to the accommodating nature of the Jaina religion that has contributed to its stability. The stable religion can hold together its followers tightly. The Jaina society owes its stability to the classification of the society into the house holder and the ascetic. In the Jaina religion, the two are complementary to each other.
The Importance of Mahavira's Teachings
Mahavira's teaching for attaining moksa is contrary to the prescriptions of the Vedic literature where performance of yajñas conducted by priests and worship of the devas was the only way of reaching heaven. Many difficult rituals surrounded the performance of yajña and it was very expensive and naturally beyond the reach of the common man. In these circumstances, Mahavira's teaching appeared some thing novel
65 Ghatage. A, M., “Jainism', The History and Culture of the Indian People, vol. II,
Bombay, 1968, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, p. 426. 56 Barth, A., Op. Cit., p. 143,
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
