Jaina Religion Historical Journey of Evolution

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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12 Jaina Religion: Its Historical journey of evolution
dharma adopted an indifferent attitude towards lifcrelated values and over played the sufferings of worldly life. In their opinion the body is bondage for self (ātman) and the world is an ocean of suffering. The main aim of life is liberation from both the world and the body. Negation of bodily desires, non-attachment or detachment, and selfsatisfaction is the Summum Bonum of life.
The result of the importance given to liferelated values of pravartaka-dharma on the one hand is that it developed a positive approach towards life which has to be respected and defended from all quarters; but on the other hand, the negation of life related values by nirvartakadharma led to the development of the view which rejected bodily demands and further made bodytorture its philosophy of life and also the symbol of spiritualism, tapas and renunciation. Since pravartaka-dharma laid emphasis on life related values, it naturally became society-oriented, because fulfillment of bodily desires, which include sexual desire, too, is possible only in society and in social life, whereas nirvartaka-dharma became individualistic and withdrawn from society. Although action or karma was necessary for satisfying bodily needs, but when man saw that satisfaction of his bodily desires or their fulfillment or non-fulfillment depends on some other powers besides his own individual efforts, he became a