Human beings have limited
knowledge and inadequate expression. That is why different doctrines are
inadequate, at the most they are one-sided views of Truth which cannot be
duly enclosed in words and concepts. Jainism has always held that it is
wrong, if not dangerous, to presume that one's own creed alone represents
the truth. Toleration is, therefore, the characteristic of Jaina ideology
as propounded by Tirthankara Mahavira. Even the Jaina monarchs and
generals have a clean and commendable record to their credit in this
regard. The political history of India knows no cases of persecution by
Jaina kings, even when Jaina monks and laymen have suffered at the hands
of other religionists of fanatical temper. Dr. B.A. Saletore has rightly
observed in this regard that "The principle of ahimsa was partly
responsible for the greatest contribution of the Jainas to Hindu
culture--that relating to toleration. Whatever may he said concerning the
rigidity with which they maintained their religious tenets and the
tenacity and skill with which they met and defeated their opponents in
religious disputations, yet it cannot be denied that the Jainas fostered
the principle of toleration more sincerely and at the same time more
successfully than any other community in India".
ENCOURAGEMENT TO SOCIAL WELFARE.
Along with the maximum
emphasis on the actual observance of ahimsa, Tirthankara Mahavira
and the Jaina acharyas greatly extended the implications of ahimsa.
They invariably stressed both the negative and the positive aspects of
ahimsa . They strongly advocated that the concept of ahimsa
should not be confined only to the negative side of it, that is, the
avoidance of injury to the living beings of different categories, but
should be consistently applied in the positive way, that is, in the
direction of increasing the welfare of all living beings. They always
appealed to the people to bear good intentions about the prosperity of
others, to show active interest in the welfare of the needy persons, and
to take practical steps to ameliorate the miserable conditions of
afflicted living beings including insects, birds, animals and men. This
positive encouragement to social welfare activities has been the most
useful and noteworthy contribution of Jainism to Indian Culture.
This humanitarian approach
to lessen the miseries of living beings was included in the vrata,
i.e. vow, of aparigraha, i.e. abstention from greed of worldly
possessions. The vow of aparigraha is the fifth of the five main
vows which must be consistently followed by all persons. Aparigraha
involves avoiding the fault of parigraha which consists in desiring
more than what is needed by an individual. Accumulating even necessary
articles in large numbers, expressing wonder at the prosperity of others,
excessive greed and changing the proportions of existing possessions are
all forms of parigraha i.e. worldly attachments. This vow aims at
putting a limit on the worldly possessions by individuals according to
their needs and desires. That is why this vow of aparigraha is many
times termed as parigraha-parimana-vrata, i.e. the vow to limit
one's worldly possessions.
This vow of
parigraha-parimana is very noteworthy as it indirectly aims at
economic equalization by peacefully preventing under accumulation of
capital in individual hands. It recommends that a householder should fix,
beforehand, the limit of his maximum belongings, and should, in no case,
exceed it. If he ever happens to earn more than that he must spend it away
in dana, i.e. charities. The best forms of charities prescribed by
religion are ahara-abhaya-bhaisajya-sastra-dana, i.e. giving food
to the hungry and the poor, saving the lives of people in danger,
distribution of medicines and spreading knowledge. These charities are
called the chaturvidha-dana i.e. the fourfold gifts, by Jaina
religion and it has been enjoined on the householders that they should
make special efforts to give these charities to the needy irrespective of
caste or creed.
From the beginning the
Jaina householders made it one of their cardinal principles to give these
four gifts to all persons who are in need of such help. In fact this help
was extended to the protection and well-being of insects, birds and
animals also. For this the Jainas established alm-houses, rest-houses,
dispensaries and educational institutions wherever they were concentrated
in good numbers. The annachhatralayas, i.e. alm-houses, were
conducted at pilgrim and other centers for the benefit of poor people. In
the dharmasalas, i.e. rest houses, lodging arrangements were
provided without any charges or at nominal charges at important towns,
cities and pilgrim places. The ausadhalayas, i.e. dispensaries,
provided free medicines to the afflicted persons. Along with the
dispensaries for men, the Jainas conducted special institutions known as
Pinjarapolas for the protection and care of helpless and decrepit
animals and birds. In unusual times of flood and famine these
pinjarapolas carry out various activities for animal protection. There
is hardly any town or village of Gujarat or Rajasthan, where a
pinjarapola is not present in some form or other. the spread of
education the Jainas took a leading part in the education of the masses.
Various relics show that formerly Jaina ascetics took a great share in
teaching children in the southern countries, viz. Andhra, Tamilnadu,
Karnataka and Maharashtra. In this connection Dr. A.S. Altekar rightly
observes (in his book Rastrakutas and Their Times) that before the
beginning of the alphabet proper the children should be required to pay
homage to the deity Ganesha, by reciting the formula Sri Ganesaya namah,
it is natural in Hindu society, but that in the Deccan even today it
should be followed by the Jaina formula 'Om namah siddham', it
shows that the Jaina leaders of medieval age had so completely controlled
the mass education that the Hindus continued to teach their children this
originally-Jaina formula even after the decline of Jainism. Even now the
Jainas have rigorously maintained the tradition by giving freely these
Chaturvidha-danas, i.e. four types of gifts, in all parts of India. In
this manner the legacy of Mahavira has been continued to the present day.
Thus there is an immense
value attached to this vow of aparigraha or parigraha-parimana
from social point of view. At the same time this vow has got a great
significance in preparing a proper mental attitude towards material
possessions, in forming a true scale of values, and in developing a right
sense of proportion for individual possessions. This vow emphasizes that
one should not feel too much attachment towards his own possessions and
should resist all temptations. It teaches that one may keep wealth and
commodities to satisfy one's requirements but one should not lose oneself
in the pursuit of material gain. In this manner it appeals that one should
rise above greed, vanity, lust, etc. Thus the vow of aparigraha
inculcates a particular mental attitude of self-restraint in the face of
pleasures, of stoicism before temptations and of detachment from
superfluities and super-abundances. This attitude of mind is perhaps more
necessary today than ever before.
