Jainism
J
ainism
is primarily an Indian religion. There are more than 3 million Jains in India,
forming almost the smaller sections among the various religious groups. In spite
of its small number, the Jain community has a strong influence on the Indian
life. Jains belong chiefly to the mercantile class, spread mainly over central,
northern and southern India. Splendid Jain temples and statues can be found
almost in all parts of the country. The Jains have also set up many trusts and
charitable institutions in the country.
The theme of self-conquest, common to all religions is supremely important to
the Jains. The very word Jaina is derived from 'Jina' conqueror. Carrying the
idea of self-conquest to its extreme, Jainism has become the worlds most rigourously
ascetic faith. God has no place in this system. The popular god's of Hinduism
are accepted, but they are placed lower than the Jains who are regarded as the
true recipients of worship.
Vardhamana better known by his title Mahavira (great Hero) was an elder contemporary
of the Buddha. He cannot be called the founder of Jainism but rather its reformer.
He is said to be the last of a line of 24 Jains. The Ist Rsabha whose name is
detected in the Vedas and hence Jainism can be claimed to be of great antiquity.
The 22nd prophet 'Neminatha' (or Austanemi) who came from Kathiawar is very
popular in Gujarat. He is supposed to be a kinsman of Lord Krishna, the Hindu
god. Jainism belongs to mythology rather than history till the period of this
prophet.
The 23rd prophet Parsvanatha belonged to 8th century BC has been considered
by the researchers and was therefore a historical personage. He was the son
of Asvasena, the king of Benares. He laid a normal life till the age of thirty
and thereafter renounced all his worldly possessions, devoting himself to meditation
and asceticism and attained supreme knowledge. When he was 70 he retired to
a mountain now known as Parsanath near Bihar and went into meditation. He lived
till 100 and died after a rigorous fast of one month. He had many followers.
Mahavira was converted when he encountered a disciple of Parsvanatha and it
is he who completed the doctrine. Therefore Jainism in its complete forms is
not the work of one prophet, but Mahavira is held in the highest esteem as he
completed the work and really set its principles and was also responsible for
its growth.
Vardhamana was born in 599BC at Kundagrama near Vaishali, about 27 miles north
of Patna, in Bihar. He was born to an aristocratic parents of the Naya Clan.
When he was about 30, his parents passed away and with his brothers permission,
he distributed his worldly possessions and left house.
Ma
havira
imposed upon himself the life of a religious mendicant. After 3 months in the
severe cold he renounced wearing cloths. He meditated for 2 years, undertook
several fasts and began his journeys for 12 years across Magadh up to the western
boundary of Bengal. He perfected his knowledge and elaborated the fundamental
principles of the religious life which he preached later on. He attained Nirvana
(omniscience) on a summer night of Vaisabha Sukla Dashmi under a Sal tree on
the bank of the river Riyvalia near Jrmbhika grama. After leading the life of
an ascetic for 42 years, Mahavira died or attained Nirvana at the age of 72,
at Pavapuri near the present Patna.
Mahavira had 11 disciples, each entrusted with a band of about 300 to 500 monks
to preach the religion. Bhadrabahu, contemporary of the great Mauryan king Chandragupta
was the greatest propagator of faith. After Bhadrabahu's death, serious differences
began to arise among the Jain community. The group led by him migrated towards
the west coast and Deccan, while others remained in the north. The group which
remained in the north were chiefly led by Sthulabhadra, the last of the omniscient.
The final break between the two groups came around AD 79. Jains divided into
Digambaras (sky /air as their cloth). i.e., naked who follow Mahavira and Swetambaras
(wearers of white clothes), who follow Parshvanatha.
Most famous among the disciples were Gautama, Indrabhuti and Sudharman and they
are said to have attained omniscience (knowing everything). Mahavira is said
to have preached in Ardhamgadhi language. A fixed form was given to the Jain
Canon is the 5th century AD at Valabhi which consists of 45 works of varied
content. Digambaras did not accept, this canon. They believed mostly on the
oral teachings of the monks and that liberation is impossible unless one renounced
clothes, in the foot steps of Mahavira. They contest that Mahavira was married.
Women can attain liberation and the omniscients can take ordinary nourishment.
Finely they believe that the ancient texts have definitely been lost and do
not believe in the authenticity of the scriptures which constitute the canon
of Swetambaras. The Swetambara canon is called 'Agama' or 'Sidhanta' or even
'Gampidaha'. The other important Jain religious texts are 'Devadashangas'; 'Upangas'
and 'Mulashatras'.
Jains have made valuable contributions in many areas of Indian culture: philosophy,
literature, painting, sculpture and architecture. Their poetry is often excessively
didactic. Their sculpture is of a high quality and some of the images of Tirthankaras
are technically perfect. Their faces are however devoid of any expression, as
they are supposed to have transcended all human emotions. The greatest glory
of Jaina religious art lies in temple architecture, particularly at Ginar, Palitana
and Mount Abu. These temples reveal a breadth of aesthetic sensitivity and a
feeling for ornamentation reminiscent of the finest specimen of classical Hindu
and Buddhist architecture.
>> KNOW MORE ABOUT
JAINISM
Interested
? Book Tour through our Members
