Jain Journal 2001 04

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

Page 50

194
JAIN JOURNAL : Vol-XXXV, No. 4 April 2001 visible or invisible, psychical or physical, of the past, present or future, or entity beyond all the three tenses and all of space, which does not fall under the scope of the word dhamma The general principles of moral behaviour dhamma-carana or vinaya, both for the householders (gihidhamma) and houseless monk (amagara-dharma) are almost the same as those enjoined for righteous Hindu householders and monks, which differ in detail, not in essence.
Both, Buddha and Mahavira alike, were deadly opposed to Vedic yajñas involving animal sacrifices and division of the society into castes by virtue of birth.
One does not become an outcaste or low, nor a Brāhmana, because of birth. One becomes an outcaste or Brāhmana by one's acts. Sopāka, born of a Cāņdāla, became a famous
revered person as Mātanga.28 Number of suttas are found in the Suttanipäta and Dhammapada, wherein the characteristics of true dharma and true Brāhmana have been narrated over and over again, confirming above mentioned views of the Buddha. 29 The Buddha has himself laid down in so few words the ideal and acid test for the dhamma preached by him.
I preach the dhamma, by following which sons of noble families become houseless monks, and having known that transcendental dharma i.e. the state of emancipation, themselves realize and attain that state i.e. Nibbana, here and in this very life.30
It must be noted in the context of the "Buddhist notion of dharma" that the Buddha has almost completely done away with any kind of ritual as an unavoidable constituent of dharma
Above, an attempt has thus been made to express the notion of dharma in Hinduism and Buddhism, in very brief, because both are widely known, studied and followed all over the world, while Jainism
28. najaccā vasalo hoi na jacca hoi Brāhamano, kamminā vasalo hoi kammurā
hoi Brahmaño. Candālaputto sopāko Mätango iti vissuto: Sutta Ni Vasala
Su 21.22. 29. Vide : Suttanipāta, Sutta Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 16, 18, 19, 21, 26, 30, 31,
32, 35, 37, 38, 44, 46, 47, 48, 52, 54; and Dhammapada : Vagga nos. 18, 19, 25, 26. aham dharmam desemi yathānusittham pațipajjamānā na cirasseva yassathaya kula-puttä sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyam pabbajanti tadanuttaram Brahmacariyam dittheva dhamme sayam abhiññāya
chikatvā upasampajja viharissatha; Majjhima Nikāya Pasarāsi Su
30.