Jain Stories 02

Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

Page 15

Xin
Some stories tend to illustrate the efficacy of namokara which is simultaneously a form of obeisance and a mantra to be repeated on the beads A hero or a heroine in a story utters the namokara under a difficult situation and is at once protected by the 'Five Well-wishers' It is a matter of faith of the believer. Some stories illustrate the efficacy of observing the vows, five by the monks, viz, non-violence, non-lie, non-theft, non-accumulation and non-sex, and the same five for the followers, albeit in a less rigorous form, plus seven more to supplement. It has been demonstrated in many stories how by siocerely observing the vows, many have been liberated in the past or at least improved the quality of their life, the moral being that many more may still do the same provided they sincerely observe them Some stories illustrate the outcome when a monk or a follower slips from the right path due to non-observance of vows, which serves as a severe warning.
A careful perusal of these stories gives an idea of the social, political, economic and cultural conditions of the time in which they were written Kings were the heads of the state and they had ministers to aid and advise them in running the administration Sresthis or merchants constituted the most affluent section of the society They had extensive trade connections not only within their own state and region, but also with other states and regions, sometimes very far off Quite a number of them were sea-faring. We have the names of many important ports which were then in use. Some of these merchants had more wealth than what was contained in the king's treasury Apart from usual professions and crafts, dream interpretation appears to have been an important profession which claimed many people Prostitution was another important iostitution. People coming from outside, notably merchants, halted outside the city walls, giving the idea of an extensive suburbia which was separated from the city by a wall Monks used to camp outside the city, mostly in structures dedicated to the yaksas Vidyadharas were a species of human beings who were in possession of some special nidyas or powers, particularly flying There were other powers wbich some people possessed,