Mahavira and his Philosophy of Life

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Jain Vidya Samsthan

Page 29

and Anekānta throughout. Owing to the magnetic personality of Mahāvira and his metaphysical, ethical and spiritual teachings, number of kings, queens, princes, princesses, ministers and merchants accepted him as their teacher. Thus males and females of all casts and classes became the ardent followers of Mahavira, and a fourfold order of Sådhus (male ascetics), Sadhvis (female ascetics), Śrāvakas (male householders) and Śrāvikās (female householders) came into existence. In view of the all-embracing character of Mahāvira's principles the Jaina Ācārya Samantabhadra, as early as second century A.D. called the religion of Mahavira a 'Sarvodaya' Tirtha, which term is so commonly used now-a-days after Gandhiji. It should be borne in mind that the doctrines preached by Mahāvira are fundamentally the doctrines of Jainism.
Metaphysics In metaphysics Mahavira holds that the substance (Dravya) is that which exists or that which is characterised by simultaneous origination, destruction and persistence, or that which is the substratum of qualities and modifications (modes). It may be noted here that every one of these definitions is inclusive of the rest, since existence implies change and permanence. To be more clear, permanence signifies persistence of substance along with qualities, and change refers to fluctuating modes along with the emergence of the new modes and disappearance of the old ones at one and the same time. To illustrate, gold as a substance exists with its modifications and qualities. Now after making an ornament, gold as a substance is existent with its qualities and what changes is the mode, Thus existence which is
Mahavira and his Philosophy of Life