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Jainism : The Cosmic Vision the women as an equal partner of men in strong contrast to the common concept of woman as an inferior being, having just the status of a maid-servant. In the Jain fold, religious and social functions, a woman enjoys as many rights as a man does; it would, therefore, be sheer ignorance to treat woman as inferior. Jain religion has preached that where a man goes, woman can go; what a man does, woman can do. Achievements of man and woman should be considered as being on equal level. Matters of religious achievements and self-development are related to the soul rather than to the body and a difference of sex as merely on the physical level. Woman is thus equally at liberty as is man for religious worship and advancement. Both are equally entitled for liberation by freeing themselves from the bondages of desires, passions and doings, that is Karma. Jain religion pointed out that there is no difference or distinction as far as the souls of a man and a woman are concerned, on the spiritual level. It would be illogical, irreligious and ignorant for a man to treat woman as inferior. Thus the approach of Jain religion towards woman is based on the concept of equality.
Jain religion is oriented towards emancipation. It mostly emphasises the values of renunciation, detachment and liberation. Normally, in almost all religions a woman is belittled whenever the concept of freedom from passion is being highlighted, for the reason that she evokes passions and carnal desires, and thus she is someone to be avoided or kept at a safe distance. But in the Jain fold, the approach is totally different. Sutrakrutang Niryukti specifically mentions that just as a woman is liable to destroy the character of man, so a man might destroy the character of a woman. Hence, women averse to worldly
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