Portrait of Jain Religion

Author(s): Narendra Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 59

His teachings elucidated with clarity the 14 stages in the Jain spiritual path beginning from 1 to 5 stages as a path of steadily enhancing self-restraint and gradual detachment moving on eventually from stage 6 to 14 to become a religion of total liberation and bliss through perfected soul. Jain holy texts like Trsastisla Kalpurusa Charitra vividly describe the travels of Mahavir and how he inspired all strata of society wherever he went. Jain scriptures give details of his 13 Chaturmas (four month's stay at one place during rainy season usually ordained for ascetics) between 569 B.C. to 557 B.C. before enlightenment and 13 Chaturmas between 557 to 529 B.C. after achieving omnicience in different cities and towns of India. Much later drawing inspiration from him, Mahatma Gandhi gave to the freedom movement a mass contact orientation, arousing the entire nation to come together in the peaceful and non-violent struggle for liberation from exploitative colonial rule. An outstanding reformist Mahavir gave the added-value orientation to Jainism of a reformist movement at a time when in the wider spectrum of Hindu society orthodoxy, dogmas, blind beliefs and violent sacrificial killings had become the vogue. He eloquently and ardently asserted the courage of nonviolence as well as its practicality as an effective instrument to promote tolerance and fraternity. Far from being confrontational, his approach was one of synthesis, persuasive, logical and compassionate. He depicted religion as the purest form of piety and sublime love. He preached : conquer anger by forgiveness, ego by humility, deceit by straight-forwardness, greed by contentment and detachment, and possessiveness by generosity. At a time when violence was escalating in religious rituals
48
A Portrait of Jain Religion