Jainism Some Essays

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

Page 67

Jainism
But this should never mean that complete catholicity prevails in all the speculations of Jaina philosophy and religion. This is not even possible in any system of ideology that assumes the form of sectarianism and is split into diverse types of ethical codes. These could not be synthesized into one uniform code by the Jain teachers. It is, indeed, surprising that the Jain teachers who could harmonize various conflicting philosophical systems could not even set their own house into order but, on the contrary, stuck fast to their own viewpoints. As a result of this, there arose a crop of many sects. In this phenomenon, merely the human weakness to cling to one's own standpoint is evident. Adherence to one's own viewpoint is not bad. But it is definitely bad not to take into account the opposite view. Hd such an effort taken place, mushroom crop of sects and schools would not have been witnessed in Jainism and the Jaina Acaryas would have been spared the trouble and ill luck of entering into controversies. But this is the strangeness of human nature and Bhagwan Mahavira was to make an attempt to remove it. He succeeded in bringing about a revolution of this type in the speculative field but failed so far its practical side was concerned.
Sects and factions
Before we take stock of the various sects of the Jainas, it is necessary, first of all, to consider about the heretics and their systems which have relationship, one way or the other, with the Jain Religion. These heretical systems are not the sects of the Jainas as their basic philosophy is in direct conflict with Jainism. They had declared their war against Mahavira himself, and his authority was disregarded by them. It is because of this that they were branded as heretics and were never accepted as the founders of the Jain sects. Sects or Sampradayas, so to say, arise, or are formed or are organized only when different suitable interpretations are put on what is preached and taught by Mahavira, accepting, of course, what he said. It is not that these sects do not accept the authority of the original founder's preaching and teachings. But they accept it only to the extent that they not go counter to the cherished beliefs or formulations. On account of this, they are sects though they may call each other heretics and designate their schools as heretical schools and not sects. Those heretical schools which have been described as such in the Canon are not all of them heretical schools, really speaking. Some of them are fit to be named as sects. Inspite of this they have been branded as heretical schools due to animosity between one sect and another sect. We should not grudge to grant this.
60
Due to differences of opinion-major or minor-as also due to fixed residence in a particular territory or town, many sects or gacchas of the Jainas have come into existence. This is not the proper place to attempt