________________
(256) : Nandanavana
which serve as a spiritual glue for the living-non-living combination. Rice has opined that Jaina ontology is totally pessimistic. It starts from hylozoism and goes up to godhood for all. He admits the tetrad of love, compassion, happiness and peace of the Buddhists as positive (but does not even mention the tetrad of friendship, happiness, compassion and neutrality of the Jainas). They even call the positive principles of the Jainas as leftist.
The concept of cyclically devolving and evolving world also makes man a bit under trouble. Their logistics and epistemology is fine but complex. Their theory of seven-fold predication also confuses the western mind. However, it is not consistent with determinism. (Mention of stand-pointism is rare). D. Jainism and Women
There are three times as many nuns as male monks (Fynes). However, their level is taken as inferior to monks. In Svetāmbara tradition, women may have salvation, while in Dig. tradition, there is no salvation for them (However, it is the nuns who have preserved the traditional Jaina practices and rituals. E. Jaina Religion: Social Religion
It is agreed that Mahāvīra was an excellent reformer and awakener of contemporary society. However, most authors do not seem to admit Jainism as a social religion because the general tendencies of society are heterodox with their principles. Moreover, the individualistic principles do not apply to society (like the macro world theories to micro-world). According to Schweitzer, there are no principles useful for society in Jainism. However, if there are any, they have come from Hindu Religion. F. Jains Literature
Many authors have mentioned the Dig./Śvet. literature. However, Basham has clearly mentioned it to be tasteless and scholarship showing G. Erroneous Statements
. 1. Almost all authors admit origination of the two main schisms in the first century CE They also mention about them. The non-idolater Sthānakavāsī sect is also sometimes mentioned. But Terāpantha of
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
