Jainism Some Essays

Author(s): A S Gopani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 19

12 ]
Jainism
From the above discussion, we are now in an unassailable position to state categorically that Jain religion had evolved its definite shape and substance at least before 800 B.C. and it had carved out its name and fame as one of the sects representing Śramanic ideology. 'There is no source available to us other than the Jain scriptures to venture a guess about the form of Jainism which was prevalent in the days of Ariştanemi or of Rşabhadev even-Jain scriptures as they attach greater weight to the teachings of Mahavira give passing reference only to those of the other. No reliable and consistent history can be constructed on such a scanty material. Therefore, we should be satisfied with this much only.
3. PHILOSOPHY
Having taken a bird's eye view of Jain history, let us now turn our eyes to its form, contents and characteristics.
Theory of God replaced by the theory of Karma
God as a creator of the universe has no place in Jainism. The discussion that a religion that cannot accommodate God is no religion at all had taken place before amongst Western scholars. When they discussed this problem, they had before them Christian religion and other similar religions believing in the existence of such a God. When these Western scholars became acquainted with Buddhism and Jainism, they noticed that there can be a religion in which God had no place. This urged them to change the very definition of religion and they have now started including Buddhism and Jainism in the category of religion. What explanation can there be, they asked themselves, about the orderliness which we see in the universe at every step and stage, if we think that there is no God? Theistic religions have no trouble because they can say that omnipotent God is there to govern and guide this world of which He is the prime mover. But this very place of God is wholly assigned to the Law of Karma in the Jain system. It is a postulate of Jainism that the wheel of this world moves on and on due to the Karmic effect of the living beings in this world and the order also is due to it. This law of Karma as enunciated in the Jain religion has influenced the other systems believing in God so much so that they also have begun accepting that nothing is left to the sweet-will of God but God also gives fruits in accordance with the Karmas of each being. Thus the law of Karma as formulated in the Jain system is more effective, in a way, than the Almighty God because ultimately Gods's management also is regulated by or is subject to the theory of Karma. If there is anything peculiar to Jainism, it is this elaborate principle of Karma. When this law of Karma was adopted as the motive force behind the movement of thə