Jainism And Its History

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

Page 79

DIFFERENCE IN CODE OF CONDUCT OF NIRGRANTHAS OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH
The Nirgrantha-Sangha that had gone to the south could not take much of Jaina texts or literature along with it since enough Jaina literature was not written till that time. It only carried with it the philosophical thoughts and its strict path of conduct from its oral tradition, which the Sangha preserved for a very long time. The predecessor of today's Digambara tradition is the southern Acela Nirgrantha-Sangha. In this context some other issues need more deliberation and research from historical perspective. During Bhagwan Mahāvīra's own time the region of his influence was only southern Bihar, which had centre at Rajgir. While the area of influence of the Buddhists and that of Pārsvanātha's descendants was North Bihar and north-eastern U.P. whose centre was Sravasti. The groundwork of the meeting of the Acela Nirgrantha-Sangha of Mahāvīra and the SacelaSangha of Pārsvanātha's descendants was prepared under the leadership of Gautama and Kesi in Sravasti. The fact that the greatest number of rainy season retreats' (Caturmasas) of Mahāvīra were held at Rajgir while those of Buddha were held in Sravasti, is proof of this.
South India being climatically warmer in comparison to the north, it was not difficult for the monks of Nirgrantha-Sangha to observe the practice of not wearing clothes (i.e. Acelakatva). The Nirgrantha-Sangha of the north could not retain its original practice of Acelakatva and started to cover their body with one piece of cloth, partly because of the climatic conditions of the north and partly because of the influence of the descendents of Pārsva. Besides, North-Indians are more comfort-loving by nature than the Southerners. In the Buddhist tradition also the
77
Jainism and its History