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Prof. N. G. Suru Ruparel College, Bombay.
JAINISM: A GREAT RELIGION
Introductory :
Among the systems of Philosophy and Religion evolved in the land of the Aryans, Jainism occupies a high rank on account of its interesting religious and philosophic teaching, its high moral code, its varied literature, sacred and secular, written in the Ardha-magadhi dialect, and its great prophets like Parsva and Mahāvīra, who by their noble ascetic life and preaching of the Jain Principles have ennobled and elavated this Religion so as to be on par with Brahmanism, Christianity or Buddhism. It is a religion that fully satisfies the vital spiritual cravings of more than fifteen lakhs of the Indian population, and has thus a living interest for us.
Jainism its origin and later development:
Jainism is a Religion of Jina i.e. the Victor or the Conqueror, of the greatest enemies of man, viz., Passions. Lord Mahavira, by his life of severe restraint and penance controlled and conquered the passions within, destroyed the Karmic matter, obtained Perfect knowledge and Salvation and thus was able to preach to the masses this Path of Religion, which, after him, received the name of Jainism, formerly called the Religion of the Nigganthas or 'the Bondless ones'. Its chief principle is the Principle of Ahimsa, common to the religion of Lord Buddha, and it certainly made its appeal to the masses who had come to develop a feeling of abhorrence and non-belief in the elaborate Brahmanical system of sacrifice which later on permitted and indulged in nauseating excesses of slaughter, not only of animals, but of human beings too. A wide-spread reaction thus set in among the people, who with their losing faith in the existing religion of sacrifice hailed with enthusiasm this new form of Thought and accorded their full support to it, by gathering round its preachers. In this way, were laid the foundations of this new Religion which won its universal appeal by reason of its inculcation of the Principles of Non-violence, Truthfulness, Purity of conduct and Asceticism, as also by its freedom from the barriers of caste in their social and religious life.
Every religion has behind it a great personality who dominates and sways the opinions and beliefs of his contemporary public. But for Jaimini, the Mimamsa school of thought would not have spread. Kapila founded the system of the Samkhya philosophy, while Gautama and Kanāda were responsible for the Nyaya and the Vaiseṣika systems. The Upanisadic thought centres round the famous philosopher Yajnyavalkya, and without Badarāyaṇa, Gauḍapada and Sankarācārya, the Advaita philosophy would never have dominated the philosophic thought of India with such a great driving force as it did in the first millenium after the Christian era. And as Mahommedanism is identified with Mahomed, Christianity with Jesus Christ, or Buddhism with Lord Buddha, similarly do we find Jainism inseparably associated with the personal life or Lord Mahavira and his predecessor Pārśvanatha. Born in the Kṣatriya royal
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