Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 1

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 224

THE ROOT OF RELIGION INTUTION AND REASONING
213 become more and more refined. We have seen that man's aspiration is infinite. He wants to rise superior to his intellectual, moral and spiritual values. The Buddha sacrified his life of luxury and plenty in which the satisfaction of all the passions and desires of humdrum life were available beyond measure. He embraced the life of the beggar not out of frustation. He was not a jilted lover or subjected to any physical malady. On all accounts he was a very handsome youngman and had a loyal wife of exceeding beauty bubbling over with youthful grace and also a new born baby. Yet he gave up the pleasure of the palace and went out as homeless ascetic in quest of infinite consummation which was beyond the control of time. Men come to be fed up as much with prosperity as with poverty. Is there such a thing as spiritual poverty and spiritual wealth? If these be not fantasy of morbid imagination, it will not cease to have its attraction for some rare souls. This has been the historical testimony of India's spiritual life. That this state of perfection and freedom is not a stupid fantasy is proved by the powerful philosophy that both preceded and followed it. We cannot dismiss it as an idle dream or the fraud of wicked gangster. That will be doing less than justice to these exceptional persons whose influence is still working among large sections of men and women.
But a problem stares us in the face. One cannot be such a churlish boor as to challenge the credentials of prophets and founders of religion in the past. But if all these super-excellent persons were directly acquainted with the ultimate truth, why should there be such pronounced divergence of views among them. The difference of the Buddha from the Upanisadic seers and from other prophets such as Mahavira and prophets of other countries is unambiguous. Kumārila, the most powerful advocate of Vedic religion, put this poser-"If the Buddha was omniscient, why should Kapila be not, when they openly profess their superior wisdom? If both are omniscient why should there be difference of opinion between them".
This is a challange. I have discussed this problem in a paper entitled "The Omniscient as a founder of Religion" See Research Volume III, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara). It may suffice to say that barring the differences in liturgy and rituals which are mainly influenced by environment and social conditions, there is fundamental unanimity in respect of the essentials of religion. The different forms
1. sugato yadi sarvajñaḥ kapilo ne'ti kā pramā / ubhau yadi ca sarvajñau matabhedastayoḥ katham //