Portrait of Jain Religion

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

Page 60

49
as well as power struggles among kingdoms, Mahavir clarified that to establish peace in the world, man should move away from the direction of conflict towards interdependence. The essence of his teachings was that in our lives there are much fewer moments of struggle or conflict and many more moments of mutual supportiveness, peaceful coexistence and cooperative endeavour.
Streamlining of Jain religion
Mahavir's intense devotion, utter tenacity, unbounded enthusiasm, limitless energy, profound scholarship and enlightenment led to the streamlining of Jain religion. Personal equanimity and social equity were his twin fundamental tenets. Self-restraint and social discipline as well as tolerance and compassion were the key to his vision of social restructuring.
Responding to the crisis of spirit in that period, Jain religion emerged as an ethical way of life for all humanity instead of remaining confined within the narrow walls of a religious text. His sermons were full of deep wisdom, lucid expression and wide-ranging inspiration. Dr. L.M. Singhvi observes :
"Mahavir was a great prophet and teacher who systematized the Jain doctrines and embodied them in a comprehensive constitution of the faith. He built the edifice of Jainism by renovation, modification, extension and synthesis. But most of all he infused new life and vitality in the Arhat tradition."
Mahavir put great emphasis on the democratic nature of Jain religion. One did not have to be born as Jain to practice Jain religion. The religion was open to anyone to embrace it irrespective of caste, color, creed, sex or territorial location. Jain religion rejected the growingly rigid and
A Portrait of Jain Religion