Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India

Author(s): Pranabananda Jash
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

Page 28

Some Aspects of Jainism in Eastern India
Mahāvīra, the twenty-fourth Tīrthankara of Jainism. A close scrutiny of the teachings and tenets propounded by Nigantha reveals considerable semblances with the doctrines and tenets of the Jainas. It is described in the text that a Niganțha is surrounded by the barrier of fourfold restraint. How is he surrounded? He practises restraint with regard to waier, he avoids all sin, by avoiding sin, his sins are washed away and he is filled with the sense of all sins avoided. (Sabba-vāri-yuto ti sabbena pāpa-väranena yutto. Sabba-vāri-dhuto ti Sabbena. Pāpa-vāraņona dhuto-pāpo. Sabba. vāri-phuţtho ti Sabbena. Pāpa-vāraṇena Phuttho).62 The text further goes on to state that “... So surrounded by the barrier of fourfold restraint his mind is perfected, controlled and firm (Gatatto ti Kotippatta-citto).63
(f) Sañjaya Belaţthiputta is regarded to be the preacher of Ajñānavāda or agnosticism. He is said to have the preceptor of the elders Sāriputta and Moggallāna before they were converted to Buddhism.54 Sañjaya along with Moggallāna is also mentioned in the Jaina literature as Jaina-muni.55 According to Buddhaghosa a certain wanderer named Supriya was a disciple of Sañjaya Parivrajaka, i.e. Sañjaya the wanderer.56 Regarding his doctrine, he says that if you asked me, "Is there another world? and if I believed that there was, I should tell you so. But that is not what I say. I do not say that is so; I do not say that it is otherwise; I do not say that it is not so; nor do I say that it is not so....”57 A.L. Basham thinks that the passage ascribed to Sañjaya Belaţthiputta is probably satirical, a tilt at agnostic teachers who were unwilling to give a definite answer to any metaphysical question put to them."58 B.M. Barua, on the other hand, believes that "the statement of Sañjaya represents a doctrine which was held in good faith by a school of Pyrrhonists."59 It may, however, be noted in this connection that the Jaina theory of Syādvāda is to some extent influenced by the teaching of Sañjaya.
Each of these teachers has been described as the leader of an order (gamino gaņācariyo), as being well-known (ñāta), famous (yasassino), the founder of a sect (titthakāro), respected as a saint by many people (sūdhiusammato bahu janassa), a homeless wanderer of long standing (cirapabbājito). and advanced in years (vayonupatta). They may be considered as the philosophers or theologians in the modern sense.61 But the doctrines of these schools, as propounded by A.L. Basham, are "to be treated very cautiously; for