Sambodhi 1973 Vol 02

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 29

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Evolution of the Jaina Treatment of Ethical Problems
themselves. For example, among the Algas the oldest material is to be found in the Acaränga I Śrutaskondha and Sutrakrtonga I Śrutaskendha, but certain chapters of Uttaradhyayana-an extra-Angic scriptural text-do not seem to be much later. In any case, there is need for working out the criteria on whose basis it might be possible to subject to a chronological stratification the entire body of the Jaina canonical texts. Later on, we shall ourselves be devising criteria for tracing the evolution of the treatment of ethical problems as met with in these texts, but meanwhile let us dispose of the two other points of difference that divide the Jaina community.
II
The classical Digambara scholars maintained the view that a Jaina monk ought to go stark naked; as a matter of fact, the very name 'Digambara' signifies an advocate of nakedness. Even the classical Svetämbara scholars could not outright reject the idea that nakedness is a highly desirable monastic practice, for they too, just like their Digambara counterparts, believed that Mahavira himself was a naked ascetic. But these Svetambara scholars came out with an amendment to the effect that nakedness was no more a possible practice ever since the time of Jambu, the third patriarch of the Jaina church after Mahavira. And this amendment of theirs was based on that well known consideration that ways of the world are going from bad to worse as time passes on, a consideration that could not lose upon the Digambaras even. For using this very consideration both the Digambaras and Svetambaras came to maintain that attainment of mokşa-the summun bonum of man's all desirable endeavour - is no more a possible proposition. Strictly speaking, the position was that attain. ment of mokşa is no more possible in our parts of the universe - it being well possible in certain other parts of it posited by the Jaina cosmographic mythology. This is an example of how the Jaina position as to what desirable proctices are possible now and what are not possible got mixed up with all sorts of mythological notions cosmographic and historical. Be that as it may, from the theoretical stand point it was sheer a possible chance that the Digambaras maintained that nakedness is practice for all time to come while the Svetambaras that it has ceased to be so ever since the time of Jambu.
However, even from the practical standpoint the difference between the Digambaras and Svetambaras was perhaps not as sharp as it appears, For Jainism is a monastic religious sect in the sense that spiritual supervision of the laity is here the responsibility of the world-renouncing monks, so that if anywhere and at any time there happens to be developed a considerable community of Jaina laymen then a fairly large number of