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From an Essay on Jainism by M. Guerinot. 1906.
When the Masters light went out at Păwă in 527 B-C the date most commonly accepted, one only of his eleven principal disciples was left surviving. It was Sudharman.*
But the work had been accomplished. Jainism had been provided with such a discipline and organisation, that it had nothing to fear in the centuries to come. In fact, it had been developing in an unbroken link and to-day it is the only religion on Indian soil which preserves those monastic orders that, in the sixth century B-C were so many heresies, from the point of view of the orthodox religion-Brāhmanism.
What then, was the significance of these religious communities, most of which had only a very brief existence!
The philosophical speculations which prevailed in India in the days of Mahāvira and whose origin could be traced back far far into even the houry Vėdic age, showed an antithesis of a peculiar strength.
On the one hand there was Being, one and universalWhether it was called Ātman or Brahma, according to the opinion of the moment, it possessed the flentitude of attributes and perfections. It was the Being one and simple, eternal and infinite, universal and immutable ineffiable and incomprehensible cause of every change. In a word, the Being impersonal, supreme, and happy.
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*M. Guerinot is wrong in making this statement as Sramana Bhagavān Mahavira left two surviving principal disciples viz Indrabhuti Gautama and Sudharman.
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