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instrument and spiritual salvation is the supreme goal. Philosophy is the base of religion. Philosophy is pervading and religion is pervaded. Religion stresses practical aspects of life while philosophy gives it the metaphysical and intellectual expression. Therefore both religion and philosophy are profoundly co-related with each other. They uphold the supremacy and ultimacy of liberation from conditioned existence.
JAIN JOURNAL
Spiritual disciplines and practices are representative wings of religion and philosophy. Spirituality is immanent in human nature, religion is a moral force and philosophy is an intellectual instrument for achieving the spiritual and religious goals. Under this perspective Jainism originally preaches ideals for attaining spirituality. Its religious aspects enjoin discipline for social upliftment and philosophy justifies them for exemplary behaviours.
Spirituality relates to having belief in an independent existence of soul, its nature of innate purity, and the removal of ignorance through right means. To attain this spiritual goal a certain amount of disciplines and practices are to be prescribed by all the systems. Therefore there is no controversy over the spiritual goal but the controversy lies in framing the disciplines and practices leading to the goal. Here we shall have a bird's eye view of the concept of Jainism in this regard.
Spiritual Tradition in Jainism:
Jainism is one of the most ancient living religions and philosophies of the world. It belongs to the Sramana tradition of India which has been propagated by spiritual victors from time immemorial. In the light of various literary accounts and historical and archaeological evidences, it appears, Jainism, the religion of humanistic approach was started with the beginning of human civilization in the Indian subcontinent by Rsabhadeva, the first Tirthankara of the Jainas in the third era of the present cycle. It is neither originated in and developed within the Vedic tradition nor is it an offshoot of Buddhism. But it is, as a matter of fact, pre-Vedic in origin belonging to the non-Aryan culture of India and therefore Jainas may be indigenous to India. This fact can be ascertained from the Vedic literature and the archaeological excavation of Mohenjodaro and Harappa sites where the ascetic sculptures depict the cultural aspects of Sramana Munis, Arhats, Vratyas 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.
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