Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 7

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 253

THE IMPACT OF SHRAMANÍSM ON INDIAN
SOCIAL LIFE Dr. NAND KISHORE PRASAD*
Some religious cults of ancient India were branded as "Šramaņa dharma' or 'ascefic religious cults'. Among these Jainism, Buddhism and Ajivikism were prominent. But Jainism and Buddhism are the only ones extant today. Ajivikism, however, became an obsolete religious cult long ago.
The term 'Šramaņa’ generally stands in adversative combination with the term “Brāhmana'. It has been said that material purity was the main characteristics of the Brahmanical cults. But the Shramanical cults were founded on rules of ethical conduct. It cannot be said that the Brahmanical religions were entirelay bereft of the rules of the ethical conduct. But we may assume that at the time of the advent of Jainism and Buddhism the Brahmanical religion had turned out to be more formalistic than ethical.
Religion is a social necessity of man. So it is necessary that it should remain socially relevant. Whenever a religion became predominantly formal it loses its social relevance. Then it is time for the priests to incarnate and redefine religion to make it subservient to the social purpose.
The Buddha in the sixth century B. C. perceived that the religions of the time had swerved from their proper objectives. So he evolved a a religion which would be relevant to life in all intents and purposes. After all it is for life and not for itself. Naturally the Buddha concentrated on life and he perceived the four noble truths (cattāriariyasaccāni):
1. Dukkha (suffering). 2. Dukha-samudaya (origin of suffering), 3. Dukha-nirodha (extinction of suffering) and 4. Dukhanirodhagamini-pați pada (the path leading to the extinction
of suffering).
The Buddha explained that the path leading to the extinction of suffering was eight-fold. It consisted of (1) Sammā dițțhi (right view), * Director-in-charge, Research Institute of Prakrit, Jainology and
Abimsa, Vaishali.