Notes on Modern Jainism

Author(s): Mrs Sinclair Stevenson
Publisher: Oxford

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JAINA LAY ADHERENTS.
One of the reasons for the total disappearance of Buddhism from India under the stress of Mahommedan invasion and Brahmanic spiritual pressure was its failure to connect itself with its lay adherents by sufficiently close bonds. This mistake Jainism never made: the famous Mathura inscriptions record the dedication by lay men and lay women of Jaina statues to Jaina temples under the direction of some Jaina monk or nun, and shew clearly that at that early date (probably A. D. 83-176) the S'ravaka* or lay adherents formed an integral part of the Jaina organisation.+
The Twelve Vows of Laymen
Jaina laymen to day take twelve vows (Bara Vrata qa), the first five of which, as will be seen, resemble the five great vows of monks, modified to suit the different circumstances of lay life.+
# i. e. hearers.
+ See Dr. Hoernle's Annual Address. A. S. B. 1898. pp. 50, ff. Jaina are occasionally found in positions (as for example in the police, or in earlier times in the army) where the taking of life becomes part of their official duty. They are not then forbidden to carry out these duties, but while remaining in such positions would not be considered true S'rävaka. The classic instance given by the Jaina themselves is King Kumarpāla, who, though a convinced Jaina, frequently for many years engaged in battle. This was before he had taken the vows, for after taking them, he never went to battle to the end of his life, though reserving to himself the right, if occasion arose, to fight strictly in self defence, which indeed had been his practice throughout.
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