2. CONTINUOUS EXISTENCE
In fact, the most creditable achievement of Jainas is survival
from, ancient times up to the present day. The Jainas and the Buddhists
were the main representatives of S�ramana culture in India and it is
pertinent to note that while Buddhism disappeared from the land of its
birth, though it survives in other parts of the world, Jainism is still a
living faith in India though it never spread outside India with the
exception perhaps of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). There are many reasons
responsible for the continuous survival of Jainas in India.
1. Excellent Organization
Perhaps the most important reason which contributed to the
continued existence of the Jain community to the present day is the
excellent organisation of the community. The significant part of the Jain
organisation is the fact that the laity has been made an integral part of
the community. The community has been traditionally divided into four
groups,
viz. Sadhus
or male ascetics,
Sadhvis or
female ascetics, Shravakas or male laity and
Shravikas
or female laity, and these groups have been bound together by very close
relations. The same Vratas or religious vows are prescribed for ascetics
and laity with the only difference that the ascetics have to observe them
more scrupulously while the tally is allowed to follow them in a
less severe manner. The laity is made completely responsible for
the livelihood or the ascetics and to that extent the latter are dependent
on the former. From the beginning ascetics have controlled the religious
life of file lay disciples and file lay disciples have kept a strict
control over the character of the ascetics. That is why the ascetics are
required to keep themselves entirely aloof from worldly matters and to
rigorously maintain their high standard of ascetic life. If they fall
short of their requirements they are likely to be removed from their
positions. In this connection, H. Jacobi rightly remarks as follows, �It
is evident that the lay part of the community were not regarded as
outsiders, or only as friends and patrons of the Order, as seems to have
been the case in early Buddhism; their position was, from the beginning,
well defined by religious duties and privileges; the bond which united
them to the Order of monks was an effective one...... It cannot be doubted
that this close union between laymen and monks brought about by the
similarity of their religious duties, differing not in kind, but in
degree, had enabled Jainism to avoid fundamental changes within, and to
resist dangers from without for more than two thousand years, while
Buddhism, being less exacting as regards the laymen, underwent the most
extraordinary evolutions and finally disappeared in the country of its
origin.�
2. Inflexible Conservatism
Another important reason for the survival of the Jaina community
is its inflexible conservatism in holding fast to its original
institutions and doctrines for the last so many centuries. The most
important doctrines of the Jaina religion have remained practically
unaltered up to this day and, although a number of the less vital rules
concerning the life and practices of monks and laymen may have fallen into
disuse or oblivion, there is no reason to doubt that the religious life of
the Jain community is now substantially the same as it was two thousand
years ago. This strict adherence to religious prescriptions will also be
evident from Jaina architecture and especially from Jaina sculpture, for
the style of Jaina images has remained the same to such an extent that the
Jaina images differing in age by a thousand years are almost
indistinguishable in style. Thus an absolute refusal to admit changes has
been considered as the strongest safeguard of the Jains.
3. Royal Patronage
The royal patronage which Jainism had received during the
ancient and medieval periods in different parts of the country has
undoubtedly helped the struggle of the Jain community for its survival.
The Karnataka and Gujarat continued to remain as strongholds of Jains from
the ancient times because many rulers, ministers and generals of renowned
merit from Karnataka and Gujarat were of Jain religion. Apart from Jain
rulers many non-Jain rulers also showed sympathetic attitude towards the
Jain religion. From the edicts of Rajputana it will be seen that in
compliance with the doctrines of Jainism orders were issued in some towns
to stop the slaying of animals throughout the year and to suspend the
revolutions of oil-mill and potter�s wheel during the four months of the
rainy season every year. Several inscriptions from the South reveal the
keen interest taken by non-Jain rulers in facilitating the Jains to
observe their religion. Among these the most outstanding is the stone
inscription dated 1368 A.D. of the Vijayangara monarch Bukka Raya I. When
the Jains of all districts appealed in a body for protection against their
persecution by the Vaishnavas, the king after summoning the leaders of
both sects before him declared that no difference could be made between
them and ordained that they should each pursue their own religious
practices with equal freedom.
4. Work of Jaina Saints
The varied activities of a large number of eminent Jain saints
contributed to the continuation of Jain community for a long period,
because these activities produced a deep impression upon the general
public regarding the sterling qualities of Jain saints. They were mainly
responsible for the spread of Jainism all over India. The Chronicles of
Ceylon attest that Jainism also spread in Ceylon: As regards the South
India it can be maintained that the whole of it in ancient times was
strewn with small groups of learned Jain ascetics who were slowly but
surely spreading their morals through �the medium of their sacred
literature composed in the various vernaculars of the country. These
literary and missionary activities of the Jain saints ultimately helped
the Jains in South India to strengthen their position for a long time in
the face of Hindu revival. Even in political matters the Jain saints were
taking keen interest and guiding the people
whenever required. It has already been noted that the Gangas and the
Hoyasalas were inspired to establish new kingdoms by the Jain Acharyas.
Along with the carrying of these scholastic, missionary and political
activities, the Jaina Acharyas tried to excel in their personal
accomplishments also. Naturally princes and people alike had a great
regard for the Jain saints in different parts of the country. Even the
Muslim rulers of Delhi honoured and showed reverence to the learned Jain
saints of North and South India. It is no wonder that the character and
activities of such influential Jain saints created an atmosphere which
helped to lengthen the life of Jain community.
5. Social Welfare Work
A minority community for its continued existence has always to
depend on the goodwill of the other people and that goodwill could be
persistently secured by performing some benevolent activities. The Jains
did follow and are still following this path of attaining the goodwill of
all people by various means like educating the masses and alleviating the
pain and misery of people by conducting several types of charitable
institutions. From the beginning the Jains made it one of their cardinal
principles to give the four gifts of food, protection, medicine and
learning to the needy (ahara-abhaya-bhaishajya-shastra-dana)
irrespective of caste and creed. According to some this was by far most
potent factor in the propagation of the Jain religion. For this they
established alms-houses, rest-houses, dispensaries and schools wherever
they were concentrated in good numbers. It must be noted to the credit of
the Jains that they took a leading part in the education of the masses.
Various relics show that formerly Jain ascetics took a great share in
teaching children in the Southern countries, viz. Andhra, Tamil, Karnataka
and Maharashtra. In this connection Dr. Altekar rightly observes that
before the beginning of the alphabet proper the children should be
required to pay homage to Ganesha, by reciting the formula �Shri Ganeshaya
Namah�, is natural in Hindu society, but that in the Deccan even today it
should be followed by the Jain formula �Om Namah Siddham� shows that the
Jain teachers of medieval age had so completely con trolled the mass
education that the Hindus continued to teach their children this
originally Jain formula; even after the decline of Jainism. Even now the
Jains have rigorously maintained the tradition by giving freely these four
types of gifts in all parts of India. In fact the Jains never lag behind
in liberally contributing to any national or philanthropic cause.
