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History of Jainism after Mahavira

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by Jayaram VFor a century or so after the passing away of Mahavira, Jainismremained an insignificant sect with no great following worthspeaking. With Buddhism on the ascendance and its increasingpopularity among the lay folk, with many other rival sects such asthe Ajivakas, the Lokayatas, the Samkhya Vadins competing vigorously

and trying to outdo each other, Jainism remained in the back ground,

with a small but highly committed following of its own.As a religion it appealed to few and offered but little comfort tothose who wanted to continue their old materialistic ways but at the

same time dabble a little bit in religion so as to whet their

spiritual appetite or allay their fears of retribution or fallinginto hells.With its heavy emphasis on the cultivation of highest virtues,offering no compromises on the question of austerities and monasticdiscipline, Jainism could not make much head way especially in times

when the middle path of the Buddha was becoming increasinglypopular, offering the much needed spiritual comfort to thematerialistically inclined and socially and financially well placedtrading and ruling classes.During this period, the sect survived because of the dedicated workof many spiritual leaders referred in the Jain texts as Gandharas.Because of their sustained efforts the sect seemed to have gained

some recognition by the time the Mauryas came to power in the 4thcentury BC. Tradition states that their first king, the famous andlegendary Chandragupta Maurya, became a Jain in the later part ofhis reign and died as a Jain monk. Bhadrabahu, a Jain monk ofhighest virtue, was instrumental in this conversion.Foreseeing an impending famine of serious dimensions in northernIndia, Bhadrabahu seemed to have persuaded Chandragupta Maurya toaccompany him to the south, where the monks could pursue theiractivities and also spread Jainism in the south. The king consentedand they all traveled to a place now called Sravanabelagola in thesouth. Chandragupta Maurya ended his life there, in the true Jaintradition, fasting himself to death.At the same time, when Bhadrabahu was in the south with his

followers, a group of monks remained in the north, facing thefamine, under the leadership of Sthulabhadra. He said to havediluted some of the teachings of Mahavira as compromise, in view ofthe distress and confusion caused by the severity of the famine.When the group headed by Bhadrabahu finally returned to the norththey were disillusioned at the changes that took place in the Order.

A meeting was convened at Pataliputra to sort out the differencesand preserve the teachings of Mahavira. But Bhadrabahu did notattend the meeting. He proceeded to Nepal, where he died in the true

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Jain tradition, fasting himself to death.Jainism spread to south India during the post Mauryan period, mainly

because of the dedicated work of the Jain monks who migrated to thesouth. Many south Indian kings became converted to Jainism andpatronized the religion.It also spread to the eastern coastal belt of India now comprising,parts of Andhrapradesh and Orissa. About 450 BC, a council wasorganized at Vallabhi under the leadership of Devarddhi, whichrecognized 84 works as the main canonical literature.In the west, in Gujarat, Jainism became popular mostly during themedieval period when Kumarapala ascended the throne and ruled fromGujarat. The invasion of the Muslims from outside did effect Jainism

also, especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan, but it survived becauseof the high degree of monastic discipline and the commitment of itsmonks to the life they had chosen.Suggested Further Reading

The history of JainismThe History, Antiquity and Chronology of HinduismThe Ajivika Sect of Ancient IndiaThe Role of Asceticism in the Development of HinduismPatanjali Yogasutras

The History, Religious Significance and Temples ofMathura and VrindavanThe History and Antiquity of Varanasi

Wednesday , September 21, 2011

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