________________
THE JAINA GAZETTE
VOL. XXIII.)
No. 9. S
MADRAS SEPTEMBER 1927.
WHOLE No. 267.
JAINISM.
BY
H. Warren, London. THIS subject is introduced in response to a request for an
1 article on Buddhism and Jainism, for a brief presentation of the history of Jainism, and of the differences between it and Buddhism. There are here four subjects, Buddhism, Jainism, history, and differences. With Buddhism I am not acquainted, history does not interest me, and if I give such description of Jainism as I am capable of, those who are acquainted with Buddhism will be able to see the differences.
Jainism is a religion and a philosophy; it is the teaching of omniscient man. The name of the latest is Mahavira, but he has several other names, and “the now commonly accepted historical date of Mahavira's nirvana is B.C. 527." Let his teachings, then, be the present subjeci, in other words, the Jain doctrines as far as I believe myself to understand them. The question may be asked, Doctrines with regard to what? and the answer will be, doctrines regarding life and the universe : the universe of course includes life. The word life is an abstract one; the concrete term is living beings. As well as living beings there are in the universe inanimate things, one of which is matter. Space is regarded as something real, and with regard to time there seem to be two views among the Jains, one that it is real and one that it is only figuratively called a substance. Among inanimate things there are two recognized by the Jains
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Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
