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DEFINITION OF RELIGION AND JAINISM
N. L. Jain Hue Shermann writes that the 'virus' of problems infected the men since the days of materialisation of the divine will of "I am alone, let me be many" and the origination of the world. This virus has taken many forms and there is no limit about its complexity. How best it could have been that man might have remained alone and single. His world itself became a problem for him. The problem has many facets, physical, psychological, social, and modern. In fact, religion is the only cure of these problems. The scientists presume that the world is with beginning and without the end and gradually developing. Their opinion is in contrast with that of the religionists. There are many such differing points of view with the scientists. However, with the development of the creation and man, he lost the freedom of being alone and thus originated the idea about social and personal duties and obligations. This was the origin of religion. Despite the enquirer's attitude of pan-theism of Vedic age, the Sütrakstānga? mentions indirectly that religiosity develops due to ignorance and fear for sins, etc. The same fact is presented by the intellectuals today by interpolatary technique. The Bible also indicates the origin of religion due to plucking the fruits of the tree of ignorance. According to Jainism the world is a never-ending cycle of creation and destruction. Every destruction-period follows a creation-period where many types of living beings come into existence. This state also leads towards the idea of self-protection and alien welfare. One's activity towards this objective is also called religion. With the development of human race, villages and towns, cities and countries were gradually developed. This led progressively to better crystallisation of concepts of function and duties of men, leading as it did to newer and modified definitions of religion. Period of Definitions of Religion : The Uttarādhyayana' mentions that Lord Rsabhdeva was the first (teacher) to promulgate religion. Since then, the history of religions indicates that the definition of religion has passed through many epochs, out of which the following four are important : 1. Pantheonic and Ritualistic age; 2. Intellectualistic age. 3. Devotionalistic age; and 4. Modern scientific age. It is an observable fact of history that the ritualistic and devotionalistic periods have shown statusquoism while the other two ages have been able to contribute globally to the growth and extension of knowledge and culture. The nature of these epochs indicates that the human tendencies have been as dynamic as the world itself.
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