Mahayan Sampraday Ki Samanvayatmaka Jivan Drushti

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Mahayan Sampraday ki Samanvayatmaka Jivan Drushti" by Sagarmal Jain, based on the provided PDF excerpt:

Overall Theme: The Syncretic Life Vision of the Mahayana Tradition

This essay, "Mahayan Sampraday ki Samanvayatmaka Jivan Drushti" (The Syncretic Life Vision of the Mahayana Tradition) by Sagarmal Jain, explores how the Mahayana branch of Buddhism developed its "Middle Way" (Madhyam Pratipada) through a synthesis of different philosophical and religious streams within Indian thought. The central argument is that Mahayana, while originating from the renunciatory Shramana tradition, significantly integrated aspects of the active, Vedic tradition, particularly in its later Upanishadic and Bhagavad Gita expressions.

The Fundamental Dichotomy: Shramana vs. Vedic Traditions

The essay begins by establishing a core difference between the Shramana and Vedic traditions:

• Shramana Tradition: Characterized by renunciation (Nivritti Marga), focused on liberation from the cycle of birth and death (nirvana), knowledge, and austerity. Worldly existence is seen as inherently suffering, and escape is the ideal.
• Vedic Tradition: Viewed life and worldly existence with hope, aiming for present happiness and prosperity. Material well-being was often the goal, and it embraced engagement with the world.

This fundamental difference can be understood as the dual emphasis on body and consciousness or enjoyment (bhoga) and renunciation (tyaga). While Vedic tradition leaned towards engagement and enjoyment, and early Shramana traditions towards renunciation, human existence necessitates a balance of both.

The Emergence of Syncretism: A Need for Balance

The essay argues that neither extreme, pure enjoyment nor pure renunciation, could adequately provide a complete solution to human life. This led to an attempt to create a synthesis or proper balance between enjoyment and renunciation, and engagement and withdrawal.

• Early Syncretism in Vedic Thought: This synthesis is first seen in the Ishavasya Upanishad with the phrase "ten tyaktena bhunjitha" (enjoy through renunciation). This Upanishadic thought is seen as a precursor, further developed and blossomed in the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita's life vision is presented as a developed form of the Upanishadic vision.
• Buddhism and Syncretism: Just as the Upanishads and Gita brought the vision of synthesis to the Vedic tradition, Buddhism brings the thread of synthesis to the Shramana tradition. While early Buddhism made an attempt to balance engagement and renunciation, or the individual and society, it was the Mahayana tradition that truly developed this.

Key Areas of Synthesis:

The essay then delves into specific areas where this syncretic approach is evident:

1. Householder Life vs. Renunciation (Grihastha Dharma vs. Sanyas):

   • Early Vedic: Initially excluded renunciation, prioritizing householder life.
   • Early Shramana (including early Jainism and Buddhism): Prioritized renunciation and viewed family life as bondage. Ancient Jain texts (Dashavaikalika Sutra) and Buddhist texts (Sutta Nipata) condemn householder life as full of suffering and sin, praising renunciation as pure. Early Jain texts only describe householders as going to heaven, not achieving liberation. Buddhist texts explicitly state that liberation is impossible without leaving household life.
   • Mahayana, Shvetambara Jainism, and Bhagavad Gita: These traditions accept that renouncing householder life is not mandatory for liberation. Mahayana literature has examples of practitioners achieving liberation directly from householder life. The Gita also states that householders are eligible for liberation.
   • Conclusion: This shift, developed by the first century CE in Indian thought, recognizes that renunciation is not the essential element for liberation; rather, it is the development of an unattached, desireless, and detached life vision. The essay notes that while Mahayana and Jain traditions maintained the superiority of the monastic order, the Gita explicitly stated the superiority of householder life through "karmasanyasat karmayogo vishishyate" (the path of action is superior to the renunciation of action). This integration of householder life, even with limitations, is seen as an influence of the Vedic tradition on the Shramana tradition.

2. Individualism vs. Social Consciousness (Vaiyaktikta vs. Samajikta):

   • Early Shramana: Primarily individualistic, focused on personal liberation and spiritual welfare.
   • Early Vedic: Accepted family life, fostering social consciousness (e.g., Vedic verses about unity and collective purpose).
   • Early Buddhist and Jainism: Despite their renunciation, the existence of monastic orders (Sangha) fostered a different kind of social consciousness, emphasizing well-being for the many ("bahujana hitaya, bahujana sukhaya"). However, their focus was on freeing beings from suffering, not tangible societal welfare or practical service to the poor and sick.
   • Mahayana: Witnessed the greatest development of social consciousness within the Shramana tradition. The concept of "lokamangal" (welfare of the world) became central to its ethics. Mahayana practitioners sometimes even prioritize this welfare over their personal nirvana, finding joy in alleviating the suffering of others.
   • Shantideva's Influence: The text highlights the contributions of Acharya Shantideva, who emphasized nishkama (desireless) lokkalyan (welfare of the world). His ideas on the interconnectedness of society (samaj ki angikta) and achieving welfare without expecting rewards are compared to Western thinkers like Bradley. Shantideva's concept of viewing others as part of one's own body, fostering empathy and selfless action, is presented as a profound psychological foundation for this ideal, comparable to the Gita's emphasis on acting with divine inspiration or recognizing the divine in all beings.
   • Bodhisattva Ideal: The Mahayana Bodhisattva ideal, like the Gita's Sthitaprajna (the one with steady wisdom), prioritizes social welfare over individual well-being. The Bodhisattva does not seek personal liberation but dedicates themselves to the welfare of all beings, even at the cost of their own suffering. This is illustrated with quotes emphasizing the joy derived from freeing others and the lack of desire for personal, "dry" moksha.
   • Bhagavata Purana: The text also references Prahlada in the Bhagavata Purana (an outgrowth of Gita's thought) who similarly rejects personal liberation if it means abandoning suffering beings.

3. Self-Interest vs. Worldly Interest (Swahita vs. Lokahita):

   • Early Shramana: Focused on solitary practice and individual liberation. This was not inherently against public welfare but lacked a proactive aspect.
   • Buddha's Contribution: Buddha is identified as the first Shramana to develop the consciousness of lokamangal. His statement about a muddy pond obscuring vision highlights that unpurified minds (ridden with attachment and aversion) cannot grasp true self-interest or world-interest. Purity of mind leads to the ability to understand both.
   • Hinayana vs. Mahayana on Lokamangal: While Hinayana (Theravada) emphasized self-interest and individual practice, it did not fundamentally oppose lokamangal as long as it didn't hinder personal ethical development. Hinayana prioritized inner purity and moral refinement over outward service motivated by desire for results. It criticized superficial service that lacked ethical substance.
   • Mahayana's Reaction: In reaction to Hinayana's individualism, Mahayana shifted the focus to social and outward-facing practices, emphasizing service and compassion for the world.
   • Conclusion on Monistic Views: Theoretically, there's no fundamental conflict between Hinayana and Mahayana regarding the concepts of lokahita and atmahita. However, practically, Hinayana developed individualistic practices, making spiritual pursuits more internal, while Mahayana, in response, made them social and external, giving greater importance to lokaseva and lokanukampa. This divergence, the essay notes, signifies a deviation from Buddha's original Middle Way for both traditions to the extent they embraced one-sidedness.
   • Gita's Stance: The Gita strongly prioritizes world-interest over self-interest. Those who live for themselves are considered irreligious and mean. Not fulfilling social duties is a grave offense. The Gita states that fulfilling the welfare of beings leads to the divine and liberation. Even those who are desireless and liberated are encouraged to continue acting for the welfare of the world (lokasangraha). Lord Krishna's purpose in avatars is to protect the righteous, destroy the wicked, and establish dharma.

4. Enjoyment vs. Disenchantment (Bhogvad vs. Vairagyavad):

   • Core Indian Concepts: These are fundamental to Indian thought. Vairagyavad (disenchantment) is the root of renunciatory religions, and Bhogvad (enjoyment) is the root of active religions.
   • Vairagyavad: Based on dualism, viewing the body and senses as causes of bondage and sin, thus advocating rejection of their demands.
   • Bhogvad: Considers the fulfillment of bodily demands as appropriate and ethical.
   • Jainism: Purely supported Vairagyavad, to some extent incorporating body discipline and self-torture into its practice.
   • Buddha's Middle Path: Buddha rejected both extreme asceticism (body-torture) and indulgence (enjoyment). His path was the Middle Path, a balanced approach to ethical living. He stated that both the path of asceticism and the path of sensual indulgence lead to the growth of conditioned existence and wrong views.
   • Mahayana's Development: The Mahayana tradition further developed Buddha's Middle Path. While Buddha emphasized renunciation slightly more than indulgence, Mahayana leaned more towards bhogvad (enjoyment). Mahayana scholars considered the suppression of desires to be detrimental to mental peace. However, this leaning towards indulgence eventually led Mahayana towards Tantrayana and Vamamarga, which is seen as unfortunate.
   • Mahayana and Gita's Similarity: Mahayana's perspective on fulfilling bodily needs and criticizing self-torture is very close to the Gita. The Gita's Anasakti Yoga (yoga of non-attachment) also presents a balanced solution to the problem of indulgence and disenchantment. Although the Gita advises renunciation in many places, it does not support self-torture in the name of renunciation.

Conclusion:

The essay concludes that the Mahayana tradition, in its syncretic approach, has transformed many concepts of the active (Pravartaka) religions to align with the Shramana tradition. Its acceptance of the possibility of liberation directly from householder life created a balance between renunciation and householder life while preserving the importance of renunciation. By making the Shramana institution a participant in social service and world welfare, it dispelled accusations of selfishness against the Shramana tradition, making the monastic order a useful part of society.

Mahayana refined the Vedic concept of avatars into the concept of Bodhisattvas, who, like avatars, dedicate their lives to world welfare. While there are fundamental differences between Bodhisattvas and avatars, both are equally inclined towards achieving world welfare. Jain Tirthankaras and Hinayana Buddhas, after achieving nirvana, cannot actively participate in alleviating the suffering of their devotees. To satisfy the devotees' hearts, the Jains presented the concept of Shasanadevas and Devis (Yaksha-Yakshinis), while Mahayana incorporated deities like Tara into its practice.

Ultimately, the essay posits that Mahayana shares significant ideological similarities with many concepts of the Vedic tradition as expressed in the Gita. So many elements of the active tradition were assimilated into Mahayana that it became difficult for Mahayana to maintain a distinct identity in India before being absorbed by Hinduism. In contrast, the Jain tradition, from the same Shramana stream, consistently emphasized the renunciatory aspect, thus maintaining its independent existence.