Jain Legend Vol 3

Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana

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attainments of highest orders, Vi u Kum ra, demonstrated the effect of his attainments to protect the rama a congregation. rya K laka to safeguard Sat Saraswat from severe inflictions, (V.N. 335 to 376) with the connivance of Itara Empire, dethroned the cruel Gardabhilla. But he undertook repentance afterwards to absolve himself of these flaws. But the situation after the first millennia of V.N. became quite different.
In the period after the first millennia of V.N., a number of prominent Jain c ryas did adopt exceptions (faults) in their code of conduct during the unfavourable period of great difficulties for Jainism and its followers and protected Jainism and their congregations. However, later on, they incorporated these changes in the original code of conduct as permanent features. In this way, these Jains made the original code of conduct depicted in scriptures as secondary and the new changed code of conduct as primary code of conduct everywhere. T rthamkaras have given due importance to flaws and repentance / correction alike; however they allowed faults only during times of distress and difficulties of the congregation followed by their corrections later on. Correction / repentance is a sacred duty while faulting, even in a situation of distress or extreme hardship or under the lethal influence of others, is a mile away from duty and is to be repented on later.
The fact of the matter is that, under the strong influence of inauspicious planets and Hu dḍ vasarpi araka; or due to incapacity of the monks to endure afflictions or the desire for self praise, popularity and pride or the supreme desire to stop the downward march of Jainism or to make Jain religion more influential, these monks started following the pervert path and started introducing material offerings in their practice and conduct. Those c ryas, rama as and rama s supporting the material offerings in religious rituals, made fundamental changes in the code of conduct of monks and rama as alongwith basic changes in the spirituality based Jainism.
In this way these propagators of pervert conduct like the temple dwellers etc introduced their tradition in the early part of the seventh century V.N. But due to the prevalence of the tradition of the fundamentalists of Lord Mah v ra's spirituality based religion during the era of general knower of prior canons, such pervert traditions like temple dwelling etc stayed in the background. Due to the absence of such knower of prior canons after
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