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Vardhamana and the Foundations of Jainism
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initiation into the spiritual life of a mendicant (muni), the Jina-tobe needs no teacher or preceptor. He renounces the world on his own, becoming the first monk of a new order. Upon attainment of Jinahood, he enters the state of kevalajñâna, from which there can be no fail ng away. At this point all normal bodily activitieseating, sleeping, talking, and so on-come to an end; the Jina sits, absolutely unmoving, in his omniscient state. And yet, as he sits there, a miraculous sound (divyadhvani) will be heard emanating from his body. Several ganadharas (supporters of the order) will then appear. Each will possess the ability to interpret the divyadhvani and thus to convey the Jina's teachings to others, answering accurately all questions pertaining to his path and doctrine. Finally, at the end of his life, the Jina sheds his mortal body and ascends to his permanent resting place at the very apex of the universe.
This, then, is the Jina ordinarily envisioned by the Jaina layperson. But in the sacred literature of the tradition we find a picture that conforms much more closely to the usual image of a saintly human teacher. With reference usual image or a saintly human teacher. With reference to the career of Mahâvîra, for example, there are numerous details of his daily life prior to the enlightenment: his family, his personality, the travails of the quest. Rainy seasons spent in different cities, encounters with heretical contemporaries, and various discourses to disciples, all following his attainment of omniscience, are likewise described. On the basis of such descriptions it is possible, to construct a brief biography of Mahâvîra, most recent of the historical Jinas and of greatest importance to the shape of the present order. This account of the Jaina religion most appropriately begins with the great saint's life; for in considering what may at first glance seem the bare facts of an individual existence, the reader will discover ties with the prehistoric past, a fantastically complex cosmological system, and the seeds of controversies that have split the Jaina community for 2,000 years. The Digambara and Svetâmbara Schism
In recounting the story of Mahâvîra we are actually dealing with two stories, or rather with divergent narratives each purporting to accurately describe a single set of events. These conflicting
