Jaina Mahavira

The senior contemporary of the Buddha:

Dr Keerthi Jayasekera

The sixth Century BC was remarkable for the spiritual unrest and intellectual ferment in many countries. In China we had Lao Tzu and Confucius, in Greece Parmenides and Empedocles, in Iran Zarathustra, and in India Mahavira and the Buddha. In that period, many remarkable teachers worked upon their inheritance and developed new points of view for the philosophy of life.

Jaina Mahavira statue

Around the fifth and the sixth Century BC there began along the Gangetic valley, civilisation in Northeast India, the Sramana movement. The word Sramana means Human effort. With the advent of this movement Man only looked to Man to comprehend and seek a solution to the problem of Human predicament.

It fell upon Mahavira and then to the Buddha with Royal heritage from the Kshatriya cast to give meaning, expression, and leadership to this new movement.

They both gave new interpretations to the existing Vedic and Brahmanic Ethics, and thus launched, a great socio-economic and a religious movement, which was to result in complete change in the destiny of mankind in India, and the world outside.

Social conditions

Scholars generally believe that Jainism like Buddhism was born of discontent and hatred against Brahminism. The socio-religious conditions of north India in the time of Mahavira and the Buddha were almost the same.

The abuses begotten of the privileges of the cast system and the monopoly held by Brahmanas in matters of religion and education were ultimately responsible for the growth of the deep rooted institution of priesthood which was vehemently attacked and ruthlessly criticised by the great Upanisadic seers and Philosophers including Janaka and Yajnavalkya, the champions of the revolutionary reforms is Brahminism luring the Upanisadic period.

Mahavira did not criticise the authority of the Vedas so strongly as did the Buddha. Mahavira recognised the status of the Trivarna i.e., the Brahmana, Kshatriya and the Vaisya, as a social reality and provided an explanation through his concept of Gotra karma as a mechanism through which it seemed to occur.

These social abuses indulged in by the Brahmans gave Mahavira a splendid chance to preach the Dharma of Parsva after a slight modification. He taught Man not to look beyond himself for hope and aid.

Miseries and sufferings of existence beset all alike: there is no escape from them. Jainism gradually spread among the poor and the lowly as it emerged as a strong protest against caste-privileges. Mahavira saw the Brahmana and the Sudra; the high and the low were the same.

He recognised the Brahmana not by birth but by action or qualification. Accordingly even the lowborn Candala, possessing requisite qualifications could enjoy the highest position in society.

He preached the law of grace for all. Caste system according to him was circumstantial and it is easy for a spiritual man to break the fetters of this system. The gift of supernatural vision was no monopoly of any order or caste or sex, and in this matter he made no distinction between men and men or between men and women.

Hence Jaina Monastic order comprised Bhikkhu, Bhikkuni, Upasaka, Upasika. Jainism, like Brahmanism is also based on the dogmas of the transmigration of the Soul, and seeks for deliverance from the endless succession of re-births.

But it does not agree with the Brahmanic penances and abstinence to achieve it, while it aims at attaining, not with the Universal Spirit, but Nirvana i.e., absolute release from all bodily forms and activities.

As in the history of Buddhism, so in the history of Jainism, Mithila or North Bihar in India played a very significant part for centuries.

Few places in India have stronger claims upon the veneration of both Jains and Buddhists. Mahavira the twenty fourth Tirtankara of the Jainas, and commonly spoken of as ‘the founder of Jaina religion’ was a scion of the noble family of Vaisali where he was born and spent the early part of his life.

In the seventh Century AD when Yuan Chwang visited this place, this region abounded with Hindu temples, Buddhist Monasteries, mostly decapitated and deserted and numerous Jaina establishments.

The Nirgantha monks were said to have still lived at Vaisali in large numbers. The importance of Vaisali lies not only in its being the capital seat of a strong and well organised republic but also in its being a very great centre of the currents and cross-currents of various religious thoughts and philosophies.

Vaisali, the ancient seat of the Licchavis and the erstwhile capital of the republican Vedeha, first of all, emerges in to history as the sacred birthplace of Vardhamana Mahavira, one of the greatest leaders of Jainism.

Jnatrika clan

He was born at Kundagama, one of the three districts of Vaisali and belonged to the Jnatrika clan. His father Siddharta was the chief of the Naya clan (Jnatrika clan) whose wife Trisala was the sister of Cetaka, king of Vaisali. She is called Vaideh or Videhadatta.

It will thus be seen that Anga, Magadha the territories of the Vajjilicchvis, the Mallas and the kingdom of Kasi-Kosala, where the scenes of the Mahavira and the activities of his Nirgrantha followers in the lifetime of the Buddha.

It is from the Buddhist text that we learn that Mahavira and his immediate followers concentrated their religious activities in Rajagaha, Nalanda, Vaisali, Pava and Savatthi. Mahavira had a large number of staunch supporters and followers among the Licchavis and the Vedehans, some of his followers appear to be men of the highest position.

The Buddhist Vinaya Pitaka provides many instances of people of Jaina faith being converted to Buddhism. Notable among them were Siha Simba Licchavi General, Saccaka the great debater who challenged the Buddha to a discussion on philosophical tenets before an assembly of five hundred Licchavis.

The story of Bhadda Kundalakesi the former Jain ascetic to whom the Buddha said “Though a thousand verses are made of meaningless lines, better the single meaningful line by hearing which one is at peace.”

She grasped the highest truth so quickly and so deeply that she attained Arahathship. Thereafter she was admitted to the Order of Buddhist Nuns. Buddha’s verses have been handed down to us in the collection of the “Verses of the Elder Nuns” (Therigatha).

It was the quest of a teacher that attracted the Bodhisatva (Prince Siddhartha after renunciation) to Vaisali then well-known for its’ abundance of teachers and it was there that he found Alara Kalama the great meditation Master, who was “so advanced in Meditation that sitting on the road, he did not hear or see even 500 carts rattling past him.”

According to Rhys Davids, the Buddha found his first two teachers - Alara Kalama and Uddakarama putta at Vaisali and under their teachings, even started his religious life as a Jaina, like Mahavira, undoubtedly speaks of his Jaina beginnings on the way to Nirvana.

The extreme of mortification, however told dangerously upon his health, and under compulsion of circumstance he bade goodbye to Jainism and ultimately discovered the well-known Middle Path, for himself which soon became the dominating force of the new order.

These slender threads of evidence, when knit together make it clear that Vaisali and Videha had been very prominent centres of Jaina activities long before the rise and spread of Buddhism.

Acarya Devasena (8th century) says that the Bodhisathva was a great learned disciple of the saint Pihitasrava who ordained him as Muni Buddhakirti in the Sanga of Parsvanatha.

The Buddha himself says that he experimented with the four types of religious practices of 1. severe penance (tapa), 2. selfmortification (Dukha) 3. avoidance (jeguccha) 4. seclution (pavivatta).

This reference especially avoidance appears to be connected with Jainism for it is said, “I used to walk up and down conscientiously extending my compassion even to a drop of water, praying that even the dangerous bacteria in it may not come to harm.” Such practices are mentioned at another place in the Tripitaka, which can be compared with Jaina Practices.

A number of rules and regulations to the Buddhist monks and nuns were made on the basis of Jaina Ethics. The Buddha prescribed the rules pertaining to the observance of indoor residence or ‘Vas’ in the rainy season. Besides, most of the rules and regulations, such as drinking filtered water, not eating at night, Sikkapadas, Pacittiyas etc., laid down in the Buddhist Vinaya are quite similar to the Jain Vinaya laid down in the Acyarangasutra, Bhagavatisutra, Nisitha, Dasavaikalika etc. The treatment of Panchavrata, Triratna etc of Jains can be seen in somewhat different way in Buddhist Vinaya.

Mahavira is described as Omniscient in early Jaina Literature, though Buddhists dispute it. It is this characteristic that led to his authenticity.

His chief and remote disciples following him have placed their credibility of their compositions on this authority. The Canons are not directly authored by Mahavira.

They have been compiled or composed by his chief disciples (Ganadharas) or remote followers of his authority. Primary Canons are called Angas, they are composed by chief disciples and the pro-canons called the Anangas are composed by remote disciples.

Gautama Swami and Sudharma Swami-the chief disciples of Mahavira are said to compile the basic canons, while many pro-canons have been written by other Acaryas.

Though the different basic canons are supposed to be based on the same sermons of Mahavira, but their written forms seem to have developed, later, per chance by the second council in Mathura or Valabhi, many pro-canons are also compilations as no author is mentioned for most of them.

Christian era

It is nearly by the beginning of the Christian era that we begin finding names of authors of many books in the Jaina Literature. Jaina Canons and Pro-Canons as available to day are composed in Ardha-magadhi, Saurasani and Maharastri Prakratas.

The Jaina Ethics is based on the fundamental doctrine of non-absolutism (Anekantavada). It takes into account all the different views and tries to reconcile them. Jaina ethics does not confuse the science of Spirituality (moksasastra) with science of social righteousness (dharmasastra).

It has thus been able to distinguish the essential nature of the dharma from its non-essential beliefs, which change from time to time from place to place. Thirdly it lays emphasis on the unity of faith, knowledge and conduct. Fourthly, Jaina ethics assigns to the life of a monk and the life of a householder occupies only a secondary place.

Fifthly, Jaina ethics is based neither on oneness of life as in the Vedanta, nor on momentary nature of self as in Buddhism. It is based on equality of life. Basically all Souls are equal.

Hence non-violence in Jainism takes into account not only the Human beings or animals or insects but even plant life or one-sensed elemental life, like water, etc. Sixthly, the social organisation as anticipated by Jaina ethics, does not make any distinction on the basis of caste, creed or colour.

The Jaina view of liberation, according to Tattavarthasutra, is a state free from all Karmans due to absence of causes of bondage and shedding of the Karmans.

Perfect knowledge

The four Ghatins (destructive karmans) are the main concern of the aspirant. One gets freedom from these karmans gradually as he ascends the fourteen stages of spiritual development. At the end of the twelfth stage, all the Ghatin karmans are destroyed and the aspirant gets perfect knowledge, Perception, Potency and Bliss.

This concept of Liberation comes nearer to that of Vedanta, the only difference being that the self according to Jainism does not lose its identity in the Emancipated State.

After the liberation the self which has a natural upward motion, goes right up to the end of the Universe (lokakasa) beyond which is cannot proceed due to the absence of Dharmastikaya, the medium of motion.

In Jainism we find a combination of both types of systems of Morality, those which emphasize on knowledge and those which emphasize on conduct and faith.

Jainism has stood for three great principles.

1. Ahimsa - Mahavira was the first to preach this doctrine as the birth right of all living beings. He criticized animal sacrifices in Vedic Rituals.

It is non-injury to all living beings. Probably no other religion in the world has defined, discussed, analysed, and categorised the concept of non-violence in such details as Jainism has done. Jains classify violence in to 108 varieties so that the aspirant can detect even the minutest form of violence. The example of Jaina kings and their rule are an enviable record, which shows no tyranny on others, as testified by historians.

2. In the Intellectual field Jains have adopted Anekanta. It does not mean compromise, doubt, or uncertainty, but it means that truth is many sided; one must be tolerant enough to understand the viewpoint of others. If Ahimsa is a social ideal, then Anekanta is an ideal in the intellectual field.

3. As members of the society, the Jains have been advised to practise Aparigraha, i.e. Your possessions must be only to the extent of your minimum needs; and the surplus should be given to others who are less fortunate.

You live and let others live; you sympathetically understand others when you are differing from them; and if you have more, you allow others to share it.

Mahathma Gandhi, a Gujarati Jain of Vaisya caste, of Svethambar sect, other being the Digambar sect who have given up every thing including cloths, thus becoming the naked Jains, utilised this powerful weapon of non-violence against the violence by British Raj in the great Indian Independence struggle to liberate mother India.

This is the greatest contribution Jainism has made to political ideas and Institutions in India. Socially speaking Vegetarianism, which is the direct result of application of the concept of Ahimsa, is the Jaina gift to India.

The Buddha says; “All tremble at punishment, all are scared of death, putting yourself in other man’s position, let one refrain from killing or hurting others. All living beings desire and seek pleasure and they all detest pain.”

The Pinnacle of Sramana Ethics in Nirvana. Prof. S. Radhakrishnan says “Buddhism is a way of living, and not a way of talking” a Jaina Sutra says: “Truth is supra logical, and can be better realised by living it practically. Not by speculating on it intellectually.”

According to the Theravada Buddhism, the Buddha’s Parinirvana occurred in 544 BC though the different schools of Buddhism have their independent systems of chronology, they have agreed to consider the Purnima or full moon day of the month of Vaisaka, May 1956 to be the 2500th anniversary of the Mahaparinibbana of Gothama the Buddha.

Mahavira attained Nirvana on the dark night of Amavasya in the month of Kattika, the 2500th anniversary of which fell on the November, 13 1974.

Prof. Hajimo Nakamura of Tokyo University fame in his brilliant analysis of the Eastern Mind says in his book, “Ways of thinking of Eastern People” that: “Religious leaders in India died peacefully attended by their disciples and followers.” He adds further “Tolerance is the most conspicuous characteristic of Indian Culture.”

The writer is Doctor of Medicine and M.A. in Buddhist Studies, Kelaniya. Retired Lt. Colonel SLAMC

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