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Jainism: The Cosmic Vision which could be understood by the laymen was considered to be ordinary and vidya which could not be understood was considered to be great. This mistaken idea prevailed everywhere. It was considered to be a bad thing to discuss religion.
Mahavira's preachings were understood by all and opened the door to the salvation of the soul for all.
In order to give freedom to women Lord Mahavira made two great reforms; he recognized brahmacharya (celibacy) as a vow and he said that if a woman gets initiated as a nun, she can became free from all bondage. He discarded the importance of gender and castes and established the importance of good conduct.
कम्मुणा बंभणो होड़, कम्मुणा होड़ खत्तिओ |
यइसो कम्मुणा होइ, सुदो होइ कम्मुणा ।। [One is born a Brahmin, a Kshatriya, a Vaishya or a Skudra according to one's karma.
Thus he led shudras out of the darkness of slavery and lifted them up from beastliness to godliness. He said that a man or woman of any caste could practise religion. In fact, he said that a monk should not be at all conceited regarding his appearance, caste, knowledge, penance, and celibacy. This was Bhagwan Mahavira's great social revolution. He changed the whole situation. This true insight given from the depth of his soul made a permanent impact on the society. Bhagwan Mahavira fearlessly and firmly expressed his thoughts and liberated people from the bonds of a certain class of people, the practice of violence and mental slavery. He led the society out
Non-Violence : A Way of Life of the bonds of the caste system. He completely revolutionised the concept of the high and the low. He revolted against the convention which laid down that woman should be under her father's protection in childhood, her husband's protection in youth and her son's protection in old age. Now onwards, the distinctions of caste or gender shall not obstruct the development of the soul. Under the aspect of the soul, all are equal. Brahmin or Shudra, man or woman, young or old - whoever makes efforts can attain liberation. It was in order to justify this that he made Chandanbala his first nun. He helped man overcome the dependence on fate and on the grace of God. He preached that man should make efforts and said, "However great a god may be and however good his heaven may be, if man shows his humanity, even a god bows at his feet. That is why man should insist on truth and love. It is by his deeds, his virtues and his efforts that man can be great. For this, birth, family and caste are of little use."
Mahavira saw that celibacy is something greater than the vow of possessionlessness. Celibacy is not only an external function of accepting or abandoning external objects; it is essentially a spiritual restraint. Similarly, penitence is the only way of severing the bonds of karma. Thus he established the over-whelming importance of penance in life. Thus Bhagwan liberated man from mental slavery. He valued man's own effort above fate. He expounded that active efforts are preferable to dry erudition. Fighting against age-old customs and blind faith, Mahavira proved the importance of freedom of thought. He fearlessly accepted what he thought to be true.
Like the monk, the householder has his own duties to
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