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future degeneration, and he, and only he, appears to be the first of such well-wishers.
The most important feature of his movement was the emphasis he placed upon the doctrine of ahimsā. It was another point in which he made a bold departure from the prevalent custom of the Brāhmaṇas; whatever spiritual significance might have been attached to the Vedic sacrifices, the people could scarcely act in accordance with it. the merciless slaughter of animals in sacrifices possibly had drawn the attention of Pārsvanātha. His independent spirit could not brook this kind of slaughter of life in the name of religin and thus he enjoined the vow of non-killing as one of the fundamental principles of his religion. Along with this doctrine of ahimśā he introduced three other great vows:20 of abstinence from telling lie (satya), from stealing (asteya) and from having any property (aparigraha). These four great vows (cāujjāma samvara) of Pārsvanātha constituted one of the important features of the immediate background of Jainism proper.
The metaphysical tenets of Pārsvanātha, as can be gathered from incidental references, were in their elementary forms. He maintained that knowledge, faith and right conduct are the true means to final liberation. The four passions (anger, pride, deceit and greed) together with the five senses are the dreadful drawbacks which should be checked as soon as possible. One can put an end to the cycle of births to which he is subject by doing this. “There is a safe place in view of all, but difficult of approach, where there is neither old age nor death, nor pain nor disease. This is what is called nirvāņa or freedom fro pain. It is the safe, happy and quiet place which the great sages reach.":22
For the attainment of this goal, we understand, Pārsvanātha enjoined such religious practices as the observance of four great vows and the three guptis, etc. Religious suicide also appears to have been considered by Pārsvanātha as a method for the attainment of salvation. The Acāranga sūtrarecords two different processes of religious suicide. The one which is older is to be accredited to Pārsvanātha. (6) Pārsvanātha's order
The Nigantha community, left by Pārsvanātha, was, traditionally speaking, 24 an excellent community of 16,000 śramaņas and 30,000 nuns with 164,000 lay disciples. One however, cannot place implicit reliance on these traditional numbers. One cannot believe at once that in the period
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