Jainism Eternal and Universal Path for Enlightenment

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

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Jainism : The Eternal and Universal path for Enlightenment
research has been done on the antiquity of Jainism, to ensure that it is not an offshoot of Vedic or Hindu philosophy (as is sometimes mistakenly believed). In fact many Jain concepts are contradictory to Vedic concepts. I do not wish to go into these details here, except to mention that Jain Arhats (Ri-abha and his parentage) and s'dhus (called Vratya or Vatarsana muni or Nigantha) are quoted in some of the oldest sacred Hindu scriptures like Shri Bhagvatpurana, Vishnu Purina, Padma Purina etc. The inquisitive reader may like to refer to some of the references, given later in this chapter to appreciate the originality of thought and antiquity of Jainism.
Over the millennia since Ri-abha, Jainism propagated through practices and preachings. Parashva, about 2900 years ago (Before Present) preached the Chaturylma Dharma: the four fold religion based on abstinence from violence (hims), falsehood and stealing and acquisition of material things. 250 years later, the last of the Arihants, Mah?vir, introduced Brahmacharya, generally equated to celibacy, as an essential requirement for attaining salvation. The basic essence of Jainism was compiled by the immediate disciples of Bhagvin Mahlvir, who preached Jainism about 2600 years ago. These disciples, the "Gandhars" were omniscient (shrut kevalis) and described various theories of Jainism and Jain practices. Later these teachings were memorized verbatim by sages for several generations and were ultimately documented in scripture form known as gams, several hundred years after Mahlvira's nirvana. These søtras were divided into two major groups: Anggams containing direct preachings of Mah?vira which consist of 12 texts. The twelfth text is called Drstivad (which included 14 Purvas) and Ang-byha ,gams which provide explanation of Ang gams. There is difference of opinion on the number of Ang-bhya, gams and their numbers vary from 14 to 34 as accepted by various Jain sects.
Around 350 BC, about 250 years after Mahlvira, there occurred a difficult period of continuous famine for twelve years resulting in a break in the tradition of memorizing .gams and during this period a significant number of gam søtras were largely forgotten. The Digambars consider Shatkhand gam, written by charya Pushpadant and Bhutbali (and its commentary Dhavala tika, written by charya Virsen) and Kasay Pahud written by ,charya Gundhara between 100 to 900 AD (and its commentary later written in 780 AD by Virsen and Jinsen) and four Anuyogs (which includes about 20 texts) as their main texts. These four Anuyogs are Padma Purin, Harivansh Purin,, di Purin and Uttar Purin written between 650 and 879 AD, which constitute Dharma Kathanuyog; Charnanuyog (consisting of Mulachar, Trivarnachar and Ratna Karanda-Shravak Achar); Ganitanuyog