It Is Necessary To Unite For The Survival Of Jain Religion And Community

It is necessary to unite for the survival of Jain religion and community

Compiled by Bal Patil

Acharya Mahapragya in his inaugural speech of the Jain Shasan Vikas Manch said that this Manch (organisation) should be built on the model of the United Nations. When the United Nations was established all the nations did not join it. A few nations got together and started working. Impressed by its international outlook and common peace and welfare work more and more nations joined it. This is a good example to be followed for Jain unity. It is a basic principle for Jain unity that in order to preserve Jain religion and community we must be united. We must think how we can become stronger. Jain religion is independent. It should not be seen as part of Hinduism or Buddhism. Now we must be concerned more with our shortcomings rather than achievements. Acharya Mahapragya referred to an instance of how an ancient Bhagvan Mahavira image was transformed in south India into a Devi. There are many such instances. Why do Jains have to face such instances? It is because Jains are not united. We are not vigilant. In spite of our Agamic spiritual, philosophical, intellectual heritage and wealth we are still weak because we are not united. Therefore it is necessary that that we should organise Jain Shasan Vikas Manch and not get involved in controversies such as mode of worship.

इक्कीसवी शताब्दी और जैन धर्म आचार्य महाप्रज्ञ
21st CENTURY AND JAIN RELIGION: ACHARYA MAHAPRAGYA

अपेक्षा है ऐतिहासिक अध्ययन की
There is need for historical study.

जैन धर्म का ऐतिहासिक दृष्टी से अध्ययन बहूत कम हुआ है| वर्तमान युग की अपेक्षा है कि जैन आचार-पद्धति और विचारसरणि का ऐतिहासिक दृष्टी से विश्लेषण किया जाय|
Jain religion has been studied very little with a historical perspective. Modern age expects that Jain religious discipline and thought processes should be explained in a historical context.

दार्शनिक विकास की ऐतिहासिक दृष्टि
Historical perspective of philosophical evolution

जैन विद्वानों ने अपने शास्त्रों, ग्रंन्थों का ऐतिहासिक दृष्टि से अध्ययन नही किया, इसलिये परम्पराओं और व्यवस्था के नियमों में सामंजस्य नहिं हो रहा है| आज जिन नियमों कि अपेक्षा नही है, वे संघर्ष पैदा कर रहे है| आज जिन नियमों की अपेक्ष है, उनका निर्माण नही हो रहा है|
Because the Jain scholars did not study our Agamic literature and books with a historical perspective there is no understanding of the traditions and organisation. Today controversies are created because of the unnecessary regulations. And necessary discipline is not being imposed.

ऐतिहासिक दृष्टिकोण
Historical Perspective

जैन विद्वानों ने इतिहास पर बहुत कम ध्यान दिया है| ढाइ हजार वर्षों क इतिहास व्यवस्थित नही है| कुछ पट्टावलियां मिलती हैं| उनमें आचार्यों की परम्परा का विवरण उपलब्ध है कुछ तीर्थों और राजाओं का इतिहास भी मिलता है, किंतु समग्रता की दृष्टि से चिंतन भी नही हुआ है और लिख भी नहीं गया है|
इतिहास का एक महत्त्वपूर्ण पहलू है विचार विकास क इतिहास| जैन दर्शन में विचारों का विकास किस क्रम से हुआ, इसकी स्पष्ट अवधारणा नही है|
Jain scholars have paid very little attention to history. There is no organised history of the two and half thousand years. Some Pattavalis are available. We get information about the Acharya tradition in them. We also get historical information about some Tirthas and kings. But on the whole there is neither a perspective view nor any writing.
An important aspect of history is the history of the evolution of thought. We do not have a clear philosophical understanding as to how concepts evolved in Jain darshan.

जैन विद्वानों कि उपेक्षा 1
Indifference to Jain Scholars-1

भारतीय विद्वानों ने जैन दर्शन पर बहुत कम लिखा है| कुछ विद्वानों ने अल्पांश मे लिखा| उसमे भी प्रामाणिक स्रोतों का प्रयोग नहि किया गया| इसमे भारतीय विद्वानों की ही कमी नही है, जैनमुनियों की और विद्वानों की भी कमी रही है| उन्होंने प्रामाणिक ग्रन्थों को विद्वत जगत के सामने प्रस्तुत नही किया| अधिकांश ग्रन्थ पुस्तक भण्डारों में ही रहे| इसका स्पष्ट प्रमाण है- किसी विद्वान ने जैन दर्शन को वैदिक धर्म की शाखा बतला दिया और किसी ने बौद्ध ध्रर्म की| यदि जैन ग्रन्थों का आधुनिक संपादन हो जाता तो इस प्रकार की भ्रांति का कोई अवकाश नहिं रहता|
Indian scholars have written very little on Jain darshana. Some scholars have written in short. Even in these no reliable sources are used. This is not only a deficiency of the Indian scholars, but also of the Jain Munis and Jain scholars. They have not presented genuine granthas-sources to the scholarly community. Most of the literature remained in libraries.
This is clearly evident because- some scholar stated that Jain darshan as a branch of Vedic dharma and someone of the Buddhist religion. There would not be room for such misleading interpretations if Jain literature is edited with a modern perspective.

जैन विद्वानों कि उपेक्षा २
Indifference to Jain Scholars-2

जैन मुनि और विद्वान जैन धर्म के प्रति होने वाले आक्षेपों और मिथ्या धारणाओं के प्रति उदासीन रहे है| जैन धर्म एक स्वतन्त्र धर्म है, किसी की शाखा नही है| इस का सर्वप्रथम स्पष्टीकरण पश्चिम के विद्वानों ने किया है| किन्तु किसी जैन विद्वान ने इस विषय पर प्रथम लेखनी नही चलाई|
आज भी कुछ विद्वान जैन धर्म को हिन्दू धर्म की शाखा बतलाते है| यह भ्रामक प्रतिपादन है. हिन्दू धर्म का वैदिक धर्म के अर्थ में प्रयोग करके जैन धर्म को हिन्दू धर्म की शाखा बतलाना यथार्थ से परे है| यदि हिन्दू धर्म का भारतीय धर्म किया जाय तो फिर जैन धर्म किसी धर्म-विशेष की शाखा नही हो सकता|
Jain Munis and scholars have remained indifferent towards misleading and false statements against Jain religion. Jain religion is an independent religion; it is not a branch of any religion. A pioneering clarification of this was given by the Western Indologists. But no Jain scholar has written on this subject first.
Even today some scholars call Jain religion as a branch of Hindu religion. This is a misleading statement. To call Jain dharma as a branch of Hindu dharma by interpreting Hindu religion as a Vedic dharma is a misinterpretation. If Hindu dharma is considered as a Bharatiya dharma then Jain dharma cannot be a branch of any particular dharma.

स्वतंत्र धर्म
जैन धर्म ईश्वरवादी नही है| उसने पुरुष के सर्वज्ञ होने का सिद्धांत स्वीकार किया| ईश्वरवादी दर्शनों के अनुसार ईश्वर सर्वज्ञ हो सकता है, मनुष्य नही| जैन दर्शन के अनुसार मनुष्य सर्वज्ञ हो सकता है|
जैन दर्शन अपौरुषेय नहीं है| उसका प्रवर्तक तीर्थंकर होता है| इसलिये शक्रस्तुति में प्रत्येक तीर्थंकर को आदिकर कहा है|

Independent Dharma
Jain dharma is not theistic. Jainism accepts the thesis that man can attain to highest enlightenment –sarvajna- all-knowing. According to theistic philosophies God alone can be all-knowing, not man. According to Jain darshana a man can attain to ultimate enlightenment.
Jain darshana is not superhuman-apaurusheya. Its progenitor is a Tirthankara. Therefore in Shakrastuti calls every Tirthankara as Aadikara.

समग्र दृष्टी
जैन धर्म और दर्शन का अध्ययन करने वाले व्यक्ती के लिये श्वेतांबर और दिगंबर दोनो परंपरा के ग्रथों का अध्ययन करना आवश्यक है|
कुछ विषय दिगंबर आचार्यों की लेखनी से बडी गहनता के साथ प्रतिपादित हुए है| कुछ विषयों में श्वेतांबर आचार्यों ने बहुत प्रगति है|
दोनों का तुलनात्मक अध्ययन करने पर जैन धर्म और दर्शन की समग्रता का अध्ययन हो सकता है|

A Perspective View
For an individual studying Jain dharma and darshana it is necessary to study literature of both the Shwetambara and Digambara traditions.
Some topics have been interpreted with great depth by Digambara Acharyas. In some topics Shwetambara acharyas have made great progress.
Jain dharma and darshan can be studies in a proper perspective only through a comparative study of both

समाज व्यवस्था
यत्र सम्यक्त्व हानिर्न, यत्र न व्रतदूषणम्|
स एव सर्व जैनानां, सम्मतो लौकिको विधि||
जिससे सम्यक्त्व की हानि न हो तथा व्रत दूषित न हो, वह लौकिक विधि जैन संघ को मान्य है|

Social Organisation
That which does not cause any harm to samyaktva, or to vows-vrata- such worldly discipline is acceptable to Jain samgha.

SAINTS


Jains Are Part Of Hindu Society - Jain Acharya Vijay Ratnasunder Surishwarji

Jain saint Shri Vijay Ratnasunder Surishwar Ji Maharaj said in New Delhi that the Jains are part of Hindu society and any move to separate them from the Hindu society would be disastrous. He was presiding over a Dharma Sabha in Delhi organised at Mahavir Kendra on March 1, 2009. All the speakers and the saints participating in the Sabha stressed the need to warn the political leadership in clear words not to divide the society any more. The Dharma Sabha was organised by Indraprastha Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He further said the recent decision of the government to extend minority status to Jains would lead to separatism. “Every section of the Hindu society believes in harmony and togetherness. We need to first decide whether we wish to bridge the gap or want to create a wall of differences. Despite the diversity of various ways of worship, communities and Gods we all are one. Jains can never think of seeking separation from the Hindu society. Any move to extend minority status to any section of the society today is equal to attacking the integrity of the country. It should be seen as an attempt to destabilise the harmony between various sections of the Hindu society.

He reminded the gathering of the Supreme Court decision delivered by three judges bench headed by the then Chief Justice Shri R. C. Lahoti in 2005 in which the court had clearly said the main task of the Minority Commission is to suggest the ways and means to create the social conditions in which first the names of various sections could be deleted from the minority list and finally the entire list of minorities is deleted forever. He said the Supreme Court is also in favour of the creation of the society where the divisions of majority and minority become irrelevant. “This attitude of the Supreme Court should be acceptable to all of us and we should move in that direction only so that the unity and harmony continues between all sections of the society,” he added.

He further said all these sections of the society existed even during the British regime and nobody was then divided on the basis of minority or majority. “Then why the unity of the nation is being dented in the name of cheaper issues. We have been living together for centuries and in future also we will live together. I wish to state in clear words that granting the status of minority to any section of the Hindu society anywhere in the country is wrong and illegal and should be rejected out rightly,” he added.

Swami Hansdas, General secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, criticised the government move to divide the society on the basis of minority and majority. Dr Surendra Jain, national spokesperson of VHP, said the minoritysm is a curse for the integrity of the country and it would prove very costly to the country. Kalikapeethadhishwar Mahant Surendra Avadhoot and Swami Bhaktiswaroopanand also spoke at the Dharma Sabha. The meeting also adopted a unanimous resolution, which said the Jains are an integral part of Hindu society and granting them minority status will damage the unity of the Hindu society.