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Jaina Perspective in Philosophy and Religion
Confucius in China and Bhagavāna Mahavira and Buddha in India. In India, this was an age of transition and uncertainty. Caste distinctions and priestly oligarchy had become a source of enormous irritation and a means of popular exploitation. Rituals and superstition had over-shadowed the simple faith of nature-worship of the Vedas and had, therefore, led to the growth of Brahmanism. There was also an intellectual chaos and philosophical revolts. Economically, the society was passing through a transition from a pastoralagriculture-handicraft stage to a developing capitalist economy, which led to a corresponding political changes in the political constitution leading to the rise and growth of small village republics and democratic consciousness. It is in this background that Lord Mahavīra was born and had lived. No doubt, Jainism in the present form, is the heritage of Lord Mahavīra but it would be wrong to ignore the origin and development of the creed of the long line of the Tírthankaras, of whom Lord Mahavíra was the 24th and the last. However, the origin of these Tirthaikars, that is Jainism, has been a faithful source of speculation and error for the orientalists. Without going into the problem of historicity of these 24 Tírtharkaras, we can safely conclude that the credit of India's greatness belongs to the Jainas no less to the Brahmins and the Buddhists. At this stage of information, we can conclusively reject either the Buddhistic derivation theory2 or the Hindu-dissenter theory and accord to Jainism 1. Vidyabhūşaņa, S. C. : Jaina Gazette, p. 35. 2. Jyoti Prasad Jaina : Jainism : The Oldest Living Religion
( Varanasi : Jaina Cultural Research Society, 1951), list 8 proofs to show that Jainism is not an off-shoot of Buddhism, pp 5-14; See, S. B. E., Vol. XXII & XLV
( Introduction ). 3. Ibid., pp 15.47; “Jainism and Buddhism are definitely
not Hinduism nor even Vedicism”, Jawaharlal Nehru, Discovery of India (Asia Publishing House, 1967, Rep. ), pp. 123-124.
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