I had my childhood schooling
among the friends of Jain families, my master Osho was born in Jain family who has
given discourse on “ Mahaveer Meri Dristi Me”, all these environment inspired me to write
down something about Mahavira, the twenty fourth Tirhankara of Jainism, before
starting my article, I have visited to the Jain temple in Kamalpokhari,
Kathmandu to know more detail about Jainism, I got surprised seeing the temple
of both sects Swetambar Jain and Digambar Jain in the same building in different
floor. What a unity? I found similarities in the idol of different twenty four
Tirthankara and ask the reason behind the similarities and came to know that
they represent the quality and virtue of Tirthankara not any physical body,
however, at the bottom of each idol a unique symbol is placed to differentiate
them, Load Mahavira idol is recognized by the symbol of a lion.
Jainism existed before Mahavira;
He was reformer and propagator of an existing religious order rather than the
founder of a new religion. He was revolutionary thinker, questioned the
dominant Vedic Brahamanical orthodoxy and its stratified caste system with
Brahmin on the top. Jainism is offshoot of Hindu religion, the center tenet of
their faith is to renunciation of violence in all its form and a concern for
all form of life. Jain teaching is simple and natural, free from elaborated
ritual complexity. Jaina does not ask any favor or material benefit from their
God or from Tirthankara, they dissonance the worship of God and Goddess as a
means of Salvation.
Mahavira was the last
Tirthankara among twenty four of Jain religion, all Tirthankara were born in
human form and attained a state of enlightenment through meditation and self
realization. Tirthankara are known as Arihants or Jinas, Tirthankara is the one
who established the four fold order of
Monk, Nun, Layman and Laywomen,
Arihants means who destroys inner
enemies like anger, greed, ego, possession etc and Jina means the one who
conquered inner enemies like greed, ego, anger, possession etc , so the
follower of Jina are known as Jainas.
Jain followers and historian
believe that Mahavira was born in 599 BC in a Royal family, place in Bihar,
India and place his date of birth on the month the thirteen day of the rising
moon in the Vira Nirvana Sambat calendar (Gregorian calendar March/April), His
father name was King Sidhartha and mother name was queen Trisala. The Jain
scripture kulpasutra says that, “before Mahavira’s final birth, when he was
after many life times ready to achieve enlightenment, he took the form of an
embryo in the womb of Devananda a Brahmin women, The Indra, King of Gods
believe that it was not fitting for a future great spiritual leader to be born
to a women of a Brahmin caste and that he should be born instead into a Royal
Family of warrior caste Chettriya. Accordingly mother Tirsala experience
fourteen auspicious dreams, the very dream image was seen by Devananda also
when Mavhavira was in her womb. Mahavira was subsequently born to Trishala and
was given the name Vardhamana.
As a prince, Mahavira had
all luxury at his command though he abandons all the comfort of Royal life; left
his home and family at the age of thirty to live ascetic life for spiritual
quest as Gautam the Buddha did at the age of twenty nine. He underwent sever
penance, even walk without clothes and accepted the alms in the hollow of his
hand for more than twelve years, he neglected his body and abandon the care of
it. He used to pluck out his long hair to embark on the path of austerities;
Today Jaina monk and nun still pluck their hair in their initiation ceremony.
The word Mahavira means
“Bravest among Brave”, during the year of wandering as a homeless ascetic he
endured great hardship, including cruel treatment by men and animals attacks. He
spend the next twelve years in deep silence and meditating to conquer his
desire and feeling, we went without food for long period, he carefully avoided
harming or annoying living being. He got enlightenment after Thirteen years of
wandering. After achieving Kevala Jnana (enlightenment) he travelled all over
the India for next thirty years in bare feet preaching to the people the
eternal truth which he realized, He attracted people from all walk of life,
rich and poor, kings and public, men and women and beggar to Priest, touchable
to untouchable.
The ultimate objective of
his teaching was to attained the total freedom from the cycle of birth and
death, according to him every living being is in bondage of Karma, under the
influence of Karma, the soul is habituated to seek pleasure in materialistic
belongings and other type of possession which are the deep rooted causes of
self centered violence thought, deeds, anger, hatred, greed and such other
vices. He preached Right Faith (Samyak Darshan), Right Knowlage (Samyak Jnana) and Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) together
to attain the liberation from the cycle of Karmic life and five great vows for
the jainas as Nonviolence (Ahimsa), Truthfulness (Satya) Non-stealing (Asteya),
Chastity (Brahmacharya) and Non-possession (Aparigraha) which is similar to the
Yama of Raja Yoga as stated by great sage Patanjali.
Jaina receives their
inspiration from the five benevolent for the right path of true happiness and
total freedom from the misery of life. So the Jaina bow their heads with the
Navakar Mantra as I bow to the enlightenment soul (Namo Arihantanam), I bow to
the liberate soul (Namo Siddhanam), I bow to the religious leaders (Namo
Ayariyanam) , I bow to the religious teacher (Namo Uvajjhayanam) and I bow to
all monk of the world (Namo Savva Sahunam) as the Buddhist prayer Buddham
Sharanam Gachhami (I bow to the all enlightenment one), Sangham Sharanam
Gachhami (I bow to the all organization) and Dharmam Sharanam Gachhami (I bow
to the all Dharma).
There are some similarities
between Buddhism and Jainism, Buddhism and Jainas practice form of Ahimsha
(Non-violence), Buddha and Mahavira believe to be contemporary, Buddhism
received the royal support and patronage of king like Asoka but Jainism did not
receive strong royal support and patronage so Jainism did not travel outside
the Indian boundary while Buddhist spread to foreign land.
Most of the followers of
Jainism are from the merchant family, they are lowly populated in different
part of business city of Nepal like Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Jhapa, Morang,
Parsha etc. Out of the 24th Tirthankaras, 19th Tirthankara was Mallinath, a
female who was believe to be born in Mithalapuri (Janakpur) in Nepal and twenty
first Tirthankara, Naminath was also said to be born in same place.
As I have already mentioned,
there are two sects in Jainism, one is Swetambar and another is Digambar Jain.
There is only little noticeable difference between two sects regarding the sex
of the nineteenth Tirthankara named Malli. If I have to analyze the both sect
from Gender perspective than Swetambars are more liberal to women than the
Digambars, the Swetambars believe that Malli was a woman while Digambars think
that Mallinath was a man. Swetambar Jain believes that women can attain enlightenment
in this life which they call Sabastra Mukti while Digambar Jain believes that
women cannot attain enlightenment in this birth but only in future birth.
Digambars deny of Swetambar belief about Mahavira’s embryo was taken from the
womb of a Brahaman women Devananda and transferred to the womb of Chhetriya
queen Trisala, Swetambar followers believe that Mahavira was married and had a
daughter while Digambar followers does not accept it. Digambar monk wear no
cloths, they believe that they are wearing the sky (Dig+ Amber = Space cloth)
while Swetamber wear cloths (Swet+ Ambar = White clothes).
Lord Mahavira purified soul left
his physical body at the age of 72 attaining complete Moksha (liberation), According
to Mahavira, “A living body is not merely an integration of limbs and flesh but
it is the abode of the soul which potentially has Perfect Perception (Ananta
Darshan), Perfect Knowledge (Anant-Jnana) and Perfect Bliss (Anant Sukha). I
believe that religious scripture and Satasanga (fellowship) shape the
believers’ consciousness, I am happy that I had good fellowship of Jaina family
in my childhood and my master Osho in my adulthood to shape my mind of
non-violence.
The author is a meditation practitioner and sociologist can be reached
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