Jain Vidya Ke Adhyayan Ki Taknik - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary in English of the provided Jain text, "Jain Vidya ke Adhyayan ki Taknik" (Techniques for Studying Jain Knowledge) by Sagarmal Jain:

Introduction to Jain Vidya and its Significance:

The text begins by defining "Jain Vidya" (Jain Knowledge) as a vast field encompassing not only Jain religion and philosophy but also Jain history, art, archaeology, literature, society, and culture. It emphasizes the need to understand the importance and value of studying Jain Vidya by assessing the contributions of Jains across all these domains. Despite Jainism being a small minority (less than 1% of India's population), their contributions to Indian culture are disproportionately large, estimated to be over 30% in areas like heritage, literature, education, and social service. This significant contribution is presented as a matter of great pride for the community.

The Intertwined Nature of Indian Traditions: Shraman and Vedic Streams:

The author highlights the co-existence of two major spiritual traditions in Indian history since ancient times: the Shraman (ascetic) tradition and the Vedic (Brahmanical) tradition. Crucially, it asserts that these two streams have influenced each other. Modern Indian society and culture are not solely a product of the Vedic stream but a synthesis of both Vedic and Shraman traditions.

Early Evidence: The Rigveda, the oldest Indian scripture, is cited as mentioning both Vratyas, Shramanas, and Arhats. It also contains references to Rishabha, Ajita, and Arishtanemi, who are recognized as Jain Tirthankaras.
Pre-Vedic Spiritual Culture: Archaeological findings from Mohenjo-daro and Harappa suggest the existence of a high spiritual culture in India even before the arrival of Vedic culture. Seals depicting meditating yogis indicate a culture focused on tapas (asceticism), yoga, and meditation, which predates and possibly influenced Vedic practices.
Shraman Influence on Vedic Thought: The Upanishads, with their emphasis on introspection, renunciation, meditation, and liberation, and their growing indifference towards Vedic rituals, are seen as a product of the Shraman tradition's influence. The Upanishads are considered a confluence of Shraman and Vedic streams. The text argues that the spiritual interpretations of Vedic rituals found in texts like the Mahabharata (where Yajna is redefined as self-sacrifice or social service, not animal sacrifice) are influenced by the Shraman or Jain tradition, as evidenced by similar interpretations in the Uttaradhyayana and the Bhagavad Gita.
Kshatriya Spirituality: The text points to the Upanishadic statements questioning the efficacy of Vedic rituals and the mention of spiritual knowledge being passed from Kshatriyas to Brahmins as evidence of a strong Kshatriya spiritual culture that influenced the Shraman tradition, prompting figures like Buddha and Mahavira to renounce their royal lives.

Jainism's Societal Contributions:

The most significant contribution of the Shramanas, particularly Jains, to Indian society is their liberation of it from ritualism and priestly dominance.

Caste System Opposition: Jainism actively opposed the caste system based on birth, paving the way for the upliftment of the downtrodden.
Ethical Foundation of Religion: Jainism established a religion accessible to all, based on moral virtues rather than rituals. It welcomed individuals from all castes and classes, as exemplified by the equal respect given to Harikeshi Bal (born in a Chandal family) and Gadhara Gautama (born in a Brahmin family).
Reformative Role: Jainism is depicted as playing a crucial role in reforming the Vedic tradition by opposing its corruptions like ritualism, priestly dominance, casteism, and religious exploitation of lower classes. It acted as a physician to Indian culture, purifying and strengthening it. The spiritual aspirations voiced by the Upanishadic sages were brought to practical reality by the Jains. This contribution remains relevant even today in combating the challenges of casteism, classism, and religious superstition.

The Importance of Comparative and Historical Study:

The text strongly advocates for a comparative and historical approach to studying Jain Vidya.

Mutual Influence: It stresses the need for scholars to clarify the mutual contributions between the Vedic and Shraman streams. While the Shraman stream initially influenced Vedic thought, leading to the development of the Upanishadic tradition, later the Shraman tradition, especially Jainism, was influenced by the broader Hindu tradition.
Adoption of Practices and Deities: The development of rituals and worship practices in Jainism, as well as the inclusion of deities like Yakshas and Yakshinis, and goddesses like Kali, Mahakali, Gauri, Ambika, and Saraswati (seen in the oldest known Saraswati idol in India, which is Jain), reflect the influence of the broader Hindu tradition. Even the mantra systems often retain their original forms with minor modifications. The influence of Tantra is also noted, with the adoption of practices for material gains and certain "karma" (actions) that seem contrary to the non-violent principles of Jainism.
Interconnectedness of Indian Traditions: No religion or culture arises in a vacuum. Therefore, understanding Jain Vidya requires studying its interconnections with Hindu, Buddhist, and other traditions.
Need for Holistic Study: Studying Jain Agamas, for instance, is incomplete without understanding the Buddhist Tripitaka. Similarly, grasping the concept of the soul in the Acharaanga or the teachings of various sages mentioned in Rishi Bhashita requires familiarity with the Upanishads. Jain scholars must avoid a one-sided study and explore the influence of other traditions on Jain philosophy, literature, and art.
Overcoming Bias: Many existing comparative studies are biased. There is a scarcity of neutral and fearless attempts to analyze the mutual influence and interconnections between traditions. For example, the concept of the "Lok Purusha" in Jainism needs to be examined in relation to its Vedic and Bhagavata counterparts, tracing its origins and development within Jain texts. Similarly, comparative studies of concepts like heaven, hell, and the cosmos (Jambudweepa) are essential.
Tracing Origins and Changes: A crucial aspect of comparative study is to analyze which tradition adopted concepts from which other tradition and how those concepts were modified, free from prejudice.

Historical Development of Concepts:

Understanding the historical development of Jain concepts is vital.

Influence on Tattvartha Sutra: Apart from the work of P. Sukhlal, it is noted that few Jain scholars have explored the influence of Vaisheshika Sutras and Yoga Sutras on the composition style and sutras of Tattvartha Sutra.
Rishi Bhashita: The text highlights that the teachings of the 45 Rishis mentioned in the Rishi Bhashita, although a Jain text, are rooted in Upanishadic, Buddhist, and other independent Shraman traditions, indicating a common source for India's spiritual currents.
The Pancha Mahavratas: The evolution of ethical principles is illustrated with the Pancha Mahavratas (five great vows) in Jainism, Pancha Yogas (five restraints) in Yoga Sutras, and Pancha Sheelas (five precepts) in Buddhism. While Jain Mahavratas and Yoga Sutra's Pancha Yogas share similarities in name and order, the Buddhist Pancha Sheelas substitute Apripraha (non-possession) with prohibition of alcohol. This highlights how Buddhism adapted the concept, likely due to less emphasis on Apripraha compared to Mahavira.
Evolution from Triyama to Panchamahavrata: The text traces the development from Triyama (three vows: non-violence, truth, non-stealing) mentioned in the Upanishads, to Chatur-yama (four vows) in Parshvanatha's tradition, and finally to Pancha Mahavratas (five great vows including celibacy) by Mahavira. It explains how Parshvanatha considered even women as possessions to be renounced, while Mahavira separated celibacy and non-possession, further refining the vows. The term "Mahavrata" itself, used by Mahavira, is seen as adopted from his tradition by the Yoga Sutras, whereas "Yama" belongs to Parshvanatha's tradition.
Chronological Understanding of Concepts: To understand when a concept developed, it's essential to identify the earliest text that uses the word in that specific meaning and its date of composition. The term "Gunasthana" (stages of spiritual development), for example, is absent in the original Agamas and Tattvartha Sutra (3rd-4th century) but appears in commentaries from the 6th century onwards, suggesting its development in the 5th century.
Numerical Influence: The number of stages or categories within concepts can also reveal influences. The four stages of spiritual development in Upanishads and Hinayana Buddhism, the seven stages in Yoga Vasistha, and the ten stages in Mahayana Buddhism suggest that numerical classifications might also be influenced by other traditions. Similar observations can be made for concepts like "Shatavashyak" (six essentials), "Grihasta Shatkarma" (six duties of a householder), and Tantric "Shatkarma" (six acts).

Pitfalls of One-Sided Study:

Misinterpretation due to Lack of Context: One-sided study leads to flawed interpretations. For instance, the scholar Shilanka couldn't correctly interpret "Triyama" from the Acharaanga because he was unaware of the Upanishadic concept. Similarly, Rahul Sankrityayan failed to understand "Savvavaari Varite" because he missed a verse in the Sutrakritanga where "Vaari" means sin, not water.
Lack of Knowledge of Internal Traditions: Ignorance of sub-traditions within Jainism also causes errors. A Digambara commentator failed to grasp the meaning of "Pajjusavana" because he was unaware of the Shvetambara tradition's "Paryushana" festival. Others couldn't interpret passages because they were unaware of specific contexts within their own tradition.

Jain Philosophy and Holistic Approach:

Jain Contribution to Philosophy: Jainism's significant contribution to philosophy lies in its review of the shortcomings of opposing philosophical concepts and its development of a holistic and synthesized approach. It demonstrated that by reconciling seemingly contradictory philosophical viewpoints, one can arrive at a more comprehensive truth.
Critique of Extremism: Both Jain and Buddhist traditions critiqued extreme viewpoints (ekantavada) and advised against them. Jainism went further by stating that all philosophies present partial or relative truths, and one should not rigidly categorize them as entirely true or false. Falsehood arises from insistence or fanaticism.
Comprehensive Vision: To perceive the complete truth, a holistic vision is necessary. Philosophers like Siddhasena and Haribhadra sought to find truth in opposing viewpoints and reconcile philosophical conflicts.
Value of Comparative Philosophy: The author emphasizes that a neutral study of other philosophical streams, free from dogmatism, is essential for understanding Jain philosophy and its holistic vision, which allows for the perception of truth within competing philosophies. Jain acharyas proclaimed that the sun of truth can only be seen with an unbiased, broad, and holistic multi-dimensional perspective, and prejudice acts as an impediment.

Literature and Art: Contributions and Future Work:

The text concludes by highlighting the vast contributions of Jains to literature and art and the need for their study.

Literary Output: Jains have produced extensive literature in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsa, Tamil, Kannada, Maru-Gurjar, Hindi, and Gujarati, covering diverse fields like religion, philosophy, ethics, sermons, narratives, cosmology, astronomy, geography, astrology, medicine, fine arts, poetry, drama, prosody, and grammar.
Vastness of Jain Literature: An estimated 30-40 thousand Jain texts exist, with many rare and valuable scriptures still awaiting editing, translation, commentary, and publication.
Artistic and Archaeological Heritage: Jain contributions to art and archaeology are also significant. Numerous Jain sites like Shravanabelagola, Kanchipuram, Devgarh, Mathura, Khajuraho, and Ranakpur are renowned for their artistic grandeur. However, much material remains buried, requiring scientific excavation.
Understudied Material: The available material, such as the thousands of relics and sculptures from Mathura and the approximately 200 Jain inscriptions, are of immense importance for understanding the development of Jain sects and art, but they have been only superficially studied.
Call to Action: The author concludes with a call to action, emphasizing that much remains to be done in Jain Vidya, requiring discussion and practical steps involving the participation of the government, society, and scholars.