________________
LECTURCI
THE RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
OF THE JAINA FATHERS It is a historical fact Unt at the Jaina proplicts from Rşabha to Mahavir addressed themselves directly to the masses in homely verna cular illustrating their sublimc lessons uitli suinple examples parables and short stories Theirs was thic mission of uplisting the humble liumınity in the sphere of religion The inissionary activities of the Jainas like thiose of their Buddhist contemporaries were eminently practical They were calculated to apperl inore to the emotion than to the intellect of the audience Religion is after all morality touched with emouon 78 Mathew Arnold has profoundly observed
The sacred literature of the Jaipas is cmbodied in the Canonical books known as the Angas twelve in number which were put in shapes of books in order to assist the srail memory of man long aftri the demise of Lord Mahavira,
It was first done two generations after the passing away of Maha 1182 and again the process had to be relived in the fifth century AD We may repeat here the well known fact-that the Jainas are divided into tuo important sects,the Svetambaras and the Digambaras-chose who are clothed in white and those who go about naked The last has a significance which must not be missed the practice of nudity symbolizes absolute detestment from all worldly concerns The Digan baras and the Svetambaras do not agree in the details of their Faith Inlo the details of the sectarian controversy we need not enter Suffice it to say that during the earlier period of their history the Jainas Tiere exclusively a religious body having nothing whatever to do with politics of the material world Under pressure of circumstances into thc details of which we need not enter they were compelled to participate 111 politics and in the tenth century AD they began to do so effectively
1 Maurice Winternutz Ph.D Vol II tr by NI S Ketkar & Miss H. Volim P 137
