Prolegomena to Prakritica et Jainica

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 88

SEN: SCHOOLS AND SECTS IN JAIN LITERATURE
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been rejected for the simple reason that they deal with circumstances of later ages influenced by conditions of later times when such works were composed. In many cases parallel references and accounts have been mentioned from the literature of the Buddhists, as they and the Jainas having started their career about the same time the former are likely to furnish reliable evidence on matters referred to by the latter, both being outside the Brahmanical fold and having a strong critical outlook.
That the time the Jaina canon treats of was one bristling with conflicting views and rival schemes may easily be gathered from such statements as "See, there are men who control themselves, whilst others only pretend to be houseless." The Acārāńga Sūtra, one of the oldest of the canonical texts, says that “To friendly or hostile heretics one should not give alms, drink, dainties and spices...nor do them service. ... Some here are not well instructed as regards the subject of conduct; ... they pronounce opinions. ... Know that all this is without reason."2 The Sūtrakstānga Sūtra, another of the most authoritative texts, says "These heretics will never be saved. ... some unworthy śramaņas who hold wrong doctrines are afraid of what is free from danger and are not afraid of real danger.'3 "Some who search after truth and pretend to practise the Law, follow the false Law and do not arrive at the right thing ... ignorant of what is right and wrong they do not get out of misery ... they praise their own creed and blame that of their opponents."In a passage of fierce denunciation it has been said that the heretics will never be saved from the sufferings of the world. In the Sthānānga Sūtra false belief is spoken as 1. Ācār. S. I. 1.2.2; I.i. 3.4.; I.i. 6.3.; with a slight variation in
I.i.7.2. 2. Ibid. I. vii. 1. 1-3 3. Sūt. S. I.i.2.5–10 4. Ibid. II.ii. 15-23. 5. Ibid. II.č. 79–81.