Tirthankaras Of The Future

This document is a scholarly article by Nalini Balbir titled "Tirthamkaras of the Future," exploring the Jaina concept of future Tirthamkaras. It delves into canonical and narrative sources, ethical considerations, and parallels with Buddhist thought.

Here's a comprehensive summary of the key points discussed in the text:

1. Introduction to the Concept of Future Tirthamkaras:

• Cyclical Time: The background of Jaina cosmology is a symmetrical conception of time, with descending (avasarpini) and ascending (utsarpini) half-cycles. While past Tirthamkaras are well-documented, future Tirthamkaras have received less scholarly attention, often dismissed as a mere repetition of the past.
• Focus on Future Tirthamkaras: Balbir's study primarily focuses on future Tirthamkaras, positioning them as significant figures compared to other "great men" like Cakravartins, Baladevas, and Vasudevas.

2. Data about Future Tirthamkaras:

• Canonical Sources:
  • Early Canonical Statements (Indirect): The Viyāhapannatti (5th Amga) contains an indirect statement about 24 future Tirthamkaras in a passage discussing the survival of the Lore after the last future Tirthamkara. However, no names are mentioned at this level.
  • General Statements (Ayāramgasutta): The Ayāramgasutta (an earlier part of the Canon) uses a general phrase about past, present, and future Arhats, suggesting an everlasting character of the Jinas' teachings rather than specific predictions about future Tirthamkaras. The text also mentions an infinite number of past and future Tirthamkaras, not limited to 24.
  • Detailed Canonical Information (Later Texts): More detailed information about future Tirthamkaras is found in later canonical texts like the Samavāyāmga (4th Amga), Thaṇāmga (3rd Amga), and Titthogāli. These texts provide lists of their names, sometimes with the names of their previous souls.
    • Samavāyāmga: Presents the utsarpini mythology in a tabular form, mirroring the exposition of past Tirthamkaras. It lists future Tirthamkaras, Cakravartins, Baladevas, and Vasudevas, covering both Bharata and Airavata lands. Specific details like fathers, mothers, disciples, and sacred trees are often not provided.
    • Thaṇāmga: Provides fragmentary but important information, including a list of nine souls contemporary with Mahavira who are destined to become future Tirthamkaras. It also lists nine souls who will attain final liberation in the utsarpini, some becoming Tirthamkaras and others merely omniscient beings. A consistent finding is the presence of 14 common names between the Thaṇāmga and Samavāyāmga.
    • Titthogāli: Offers a general survey of utsarpini mythology, with a significant section dedicated to the biography of the first future Tirthamkara, Sreņika. It lists various categories of "great men" across different utsarpini phases.
• Later Svetambara Lists:
  • Subsequent texts like Nemicandra's Pravacanasāroddhāra and Hemacandra's Abhidhānacintamani enumerate the names of future Tirthamkaras, often accompanied by their previous lives, as part of broader descriptions of future ages.
  • Other important works include Hemacandra's Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita, Bhadreśvara's Kahāvali, Jinaprabhasūri's Apāpābṛhatkalpa, and Vinayavijaya's Lokaprakāśa, which compiles much of the existing tradition and often quotes earlier sources.
  • Stotra literature also includes hymns dedicated to future Tirthamkaras.
• Collation of Svetambara Data and Discrepancies:
  • The author notes variations and discrepancies among Svetambara texts regarding future Tirthamkaras, which Jaina writers themselves acknowledged.
  • These discrepancies can occur within the same work and are sometimes cited as reasons for not detailing future Tirthamkaras extensively.
  • Specific variations are highlighted, such as the name of the 6th future Tirthamkara (Devasguya/Devagutta) and differing traditions for Tirthamkaras 12-24, including the interpretation of "savvabhāvavia Jine" and the name of the 24th future Tirthamkara (Bhadra/Tiyya).
• Digambara Lists of Future Tirthamkaras:
  • Digambara texts like Yativṛṣabha's Tiloyapaṇṇatti, Guṇabhadra's Uttarapurāṇa, and Puṣpadanta's Mahāpurāṇa also contain lists of future Tirthamkaras and their previous births.
  • Comparison with Svetambara: While there's general agreement on past Tirthamkaras, the lists for future Tirthamkaras show more blurred lines. There's correspondence for the first four, and fair correspondence in names with slight variants, but considerable discrepancies regarding their previous existences. A significant difference is that Digambara tradition generally excludes women from becoming Tirthamkaras, whereas Svetambara sources identify at least three.
  • New Information from Digambara Texts: Digambara texts sometimes add details like the size and lifespan of the first and last future Tirthamkaras. They also assign a special position to the first future Tirthamkara, Śreņika-Mahāpadma, as the son of the last kulagara.

3. Narrative Sources about Future Tirthamkaras:

• Previous Births: A key characteristic of future Tirthamkaras is their connection to past incarnations.

  • Sreņika and Vasudeva-Kṛṣṇa Episodes: The narratives often follow a similar pattern: a saint predicts a king's rebirth as a hellish being due to bad karma, the king's fear, and the saint's subsequent prediction of the king's future Tirthamkarahood. This is illustrated with the examples of King Śreņika and Kṛṣṇa.
  • Discrepancies in Prophecies: Disagreements arise regarding the serial number and specific names of future Tirthamkaras, reflecting the inconsistencies found in the lists. For instance, Kṛṣṇa is sometimes identified as the 12th future Tirthamkara (Amama) and sometimes as the 13th.
  • Laywomen as Future Tirthamkaras: The text highlights figures like Revati and Sulasā, laywomen contemporary with Mahavira, who are identified as future Tirthamkaras in some Svetambara texts. The case of Revati shows variations in her designation (16th future Tirthamkara Citragupta, or 17th Samadhi), while Sulasā consistently appears as the 15th (Nimmama).
  • Fragmentary Information: In many cases, narrative sources are too fragmentary to allow for definitive conclusions, with some future Tirthamkaras being mere names without detailed personalities.

• Careers of Future Tirthamkaras:

  • Śreņika-Mahāpadma's Life: Detailed descriptions of the first future Tirthamkara, Śreņika-Mahāpadma, are found in the Thaṇāmga and Titthogāli. His life story is remarkably similar to that of Mahavira, with almost identical elements, emphasizing the equivalence of their careers. The Titthogāli even goes further in this regard, closely mirroring the Avaśyaka-niryukti's account of Mahavira.
  • Amama-svāmicarita: An individual account of the twelfth future Tirthamkara (formerly Kṛṣṇa) follows a similar pattern to Mahāpadma's biography.
  • General Observation: The 24 future Tirthamkara figures are characterized by a few being "living figures" (contemporary with Mahavira), some being mere names on which stories are constructed, and others being historical (Śreņika) or pan-Indian figures (Kṛṣṇa).

4. Ethical Aspects Connected with Future Tirthamkaras:

• Tirthamkarahood in the Chain of Rebirths:

  • Tirthamkarahood is presented as one of many possible destinies for human beings, attainable through the process of rebirth.
  • The narrative schemes for Śreņika and Kṛṣṇa illustrate a direct connection between rebirth in hells followed by a rebirth as a future Tirthamkara.
  • Svetambara and Digambara theoretical texts align with this, stating that beings coming from the first three hells can achieve Tirthamkarahood if they acquire the Tirthamkara-nama-karman. This possibility is denied for those from the last four hells.

• Original Context and Later Use of the Tirthamkara-nama-karman Notion:

  • Tirthamkarahood is achieved through a specific karma (Tirthamkara-nama-karman), which is accumulated through moral conduct, compassion, self-control, and right faith.
  • These causes are closely linked to the utsarpini mythology and attempt to provide a rational explanation for the Tirthamkaras' existence based on karma and rebirth.
  • Later literature demonstrates an extension of this concept, with works like the Vimfatisthānakacarita illustrating how observing Jain ethical principles can lead to Tirthamkarahood, serving didactic purposes for monks and laypeople.

5. Notes on Buddhist Counterparts:

• Maitreya Buddha: Theravada Buddhism primarily mentions Maitreya as the sole future Buddha, while Mahayana tradition has no limitation on the number of future Buddhas.
• Parallels in Presentation: Balbir draws parallels in the way future prophets are presented in both traditions, irrespective of historical or doctrinal interpretations.
  • General Statements: Similar to the Jaina concept of past, present, and future Arhats, Buddhist texts refer to past, future, and present Arhats/Awakened Ones.
  • Prophecies of Future Incarnations: Gautama Buddha's prediction of Maitreya's future birth and the emphasis on the similarity between their life patterns mirror Jaina prophecies about future Tirthamkaras. Mahayana traditions also feature Buddhas announcing future destinies as Buddhas.
  • Story Patterns: The narratives of future Buddhas often include accounts of their present lives and merits (especially generosity), but their future careers are described briefly. This is comparable to Jaina narratives.
  • Categories of Figures: Both traditions feature historical figures and those who are essentially names with stories attached as potential future enlightened beings.
  • Tirthamkara-nama-karman vs. Pāramitās: The Jaina Tirthamkara-nama-karman is compared to the Buddhist Pāramitās (perfections leading to Buddhahood), with similar contexts for their discussion, such as the accumulation of merit through generosity.

Conclusion:

• The interest in future prophets is a natural development in cyclical doctrines like Jainism.
• Jaina teachings on future Tirthamkaras are deeply intertwined with theories of samsara (cycle of birth and death) and karma.
• The emphasis is on individual improvement rather than a singular savior, making the concept of a unique savior less prominent in Jainism compared to some other religions. The Tirthamkara-nama-karman facilitates this individual progression.

The article concludes with a comprehensive synoptical chart, presenting a detailed collation of the names and data for future Tirthamkaras from various canonical and later sources, highlighting both agreements and discrepancies.