Jainism in North India

Author(s): Chimanlal J Shah
Publisher: Longmans Green and Compny London

Page 51

JAINISM IN NORTH INDIA but Nervāna—that is, absolute release from all bodily forms and activities. Without denying the existence of the Devas (gods), • at any rate at first, it places each Jına above them and recog
nises them as subordinate to a perfect saint. It differed from Brahmanism, as primitive Christianity differed from the Jewish hierarchy, by rejecting outward works or theological knowledge as a mark of holiness, and seeking it in gentleness, in purity of heart and life, in mercy, and self-denying love for a neighbour. Above all, it is distingished by its relation to castes. Mahāvira comes neither to oppose them nor to level everything. On the other hand, he adopts a doctrine that men are born in lower or higher castes, determined by their sins or good works in a former existence, but it teaches at the same time that by a life of purity and love, by becoming a spiritual man, everyone may attain at once the highest salvation. Caste makes no difference to him; he looks for the man even in the Candāla; the miseries of existence beset all alike, and his law is a law of grace for all Therefore the most salutary change that Mahāvira brought about was his effort to show how aircumstantial indeed caste system was, and how easy it was for a spiritual man to break the fetters of caste system.
This is Jainism in general It is quite popular in its character, and its instrument is preaching rather than instruction. Coming to Mahāvīra we find that he too, like Buddha, was born of a Kshatriya aristocratic family In fact, all along, it has been the Jaina belief that a Jina must always come from a Kshatriya or some such noble family. Now it so happened that because of certain actions on his part in his former lives & Mahāvīra had first sument foruten SETCATEL T . Harbhadra, Shaddarsana Samuccaya, v 52
atau as witc afuçurg -Heinacandra, Parsishtaparoan, Canto I, v 2, PS
: -Haribhadra, op ct, v 45, 46 "One does not become R Sramana by the tonsure, nor & Brahman by the sacred syllable 'OM,' nor a Mfume by living in the woods, nor a Tāpasa by wearing (clothes) Kusa-grus and bark"-Jacobi, S.BE, lv, p 140 #MCHIN A CH
etc – Utaradhyayana, Lecture XII, 1 "MarihesaBala was born in a family of Stapähas (Kandalas), he became a monk and a sngc," ctc - Jacobi, op cit, p 50
It never has happened, nor does zt happen, nor will it happen, that Azhats, .be born of poor families, beggars' families, or Brahmanical families For indeed Arhats
zre born in high families, in families belonging to the race of Ihshváku, or in other such-Ithe families of purc descent on both sides" - Jacob, S.BE, X1, p 225
. According to the Jaina belief whatever we are in our present life is a net result of all our Karins committed during our previous births All Karmas are generally 20