Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

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The Incipient Stage 61
self silent since the deeply ingrained faiths behind the ideas were all uprooted. Gośāla, the leader of the Ājivikas, became a fatalist who was forced to believe that human activity could do nothing to change the course of events. Everything appeared to him to have been determined by forces of fate or destiny. He died of despair and madness, pining in his delirium for the last drink (carime pāne), the last song (carime geye), the last dance (carime natte) and the last greetings (carime añjalikamme)-characteristics of simple undifferentiated tribal life. Thus from his death-bed he could only advise to his follower to play on the lute, quite consistent for a man who saw the whole world he stood for falling to pieces before his very eyes.*
It is against this background that the Buddha's sayings concerning human misery should be read. Overwhelmed by the stupendous social transformation and wholesale bloodshed of the times the Buddha said: 'I behold the rich in the world. of the goods which they have acquired. in their folly they give nothing to others; they eagerly heap riches together and further they go in their pursuit of enjoyment. The king, although he may have conquered the kingdoms of the earth, although he may be ruler of all land this side the sea, up to the ocean's shore. would still insatiate, covet that which is beyond the sea. The princes, who rule kingdoms, rich in treasure and wealth, turn their greed against one another pondering insatiably to their desires. If these acts thus restlessly swimming in the stream of impermanence carried along by greed and carnal desire, who then can walk on earth in peace"?2
We have already occasion to refer to the economic significance of the doctrine of Ahimsā. But why the Buddha and Mahāvīra laid so much emphasis upon the complete acceptance of the doctrine of nonviolence as a distinct way of life can be perfectly understood if the aforesaid facts of their age be taken into account. Although Mahāvira differed from Gośāla and the Buddha in many respects, the ruthless form of exploitation and misery of his age roused in him the same feeling shared by his illustrious contemporaries. Like the Buddha, Mahăvīra also established the Samgha or community of the brethren' which was evidently modelled on the pattern of tribal democracies and meant to be the ideal substitute for a vanished way of life. How thoroughly the tribal model was imitated can be understood if we take into account the Jain rules relating to the procedure of entry into the Order, the
Chattopadhyaya, L, 523; Bhattacharyya, HSR, pp. 40-41. Oldenberg, B, p. 64.