The Jains

Front Cover
Routledge, Sep 2, 2003 - Religion - 368 pages
The Indian religion of Jainism, whose central tenet involves non-violence to all creatures, is one of the world's oldest and least-understood faiths. Dundas looks at Jainism in its social and doctrinal context, explaining its history, sects, scriptures and ritual, and describing how the Jains have, over 2500 years, defined themselves as a unique religious community. This revised and expanded edition takes account of new research into Jainism.
 

Contents

The Kharatara Gaccha
140
The Tapa Gaccha
142
Relations with the Muslims
145
Svetambara caste conversion
147
The ascetic
150
The stages of quality
151
Monks and nuns
152
Reasons for renunciation
153

The transfer of the embryo
26
Mahaviras relationship with Makkhali Gosala
28
Mahaviras relationship with Parsva
30
Mahaviras enlightenment
33
The preaching assembly
34
Mahavira as Great Man
35
The conversion of the ganadharas
37
The expansion of the fordmaker lineage
39
Early teachings
41
The Digambaras and the Svetambaras
45
Sectarian origins
46
Sectarian attitudes
49
Social interaction
51
Can women attain deliverance?
55
Scriptures
60
the manuscripts at Mudbidri
63
the recitation of the Kalpasutra
65
the Purvas
67
Ardhamagadhi as scriptural language
69
Svetambara traditions about scriptural transmission
70
The fortyfivetext Svetambara canon
73
Enumeration of the Svetambara scriptures
76
Digambara scriptures
79
The Five Homages
81
Jain libraries
83
Doctrine
86
Omniscience
88
The loka
90
The fundamental entities
93
Karma
97
The types of karma
99
Rebirth
102
Deliverance
104
Plants and animals
106
Kundakunda and the Digambara mystical tradition
107
God
110
History from early times to the late medieval period
112
Mathura
113
Jainism in south India
115
Jain literature in Tamil
116
Jain kingship in Karnataka
118
Early Digambara sects
120
The bhattaraka
123
Mixed fortunes in the south
125
Svetambara teachers
129
The templedwelling monks
136
The emergence of Svetambara gacchas
138
Initiation
155
The Great Vows
157
The nature of nonviolence
160
Asceticism
163
Meditation
166
the Obligatory Actions
169
Interaction with the laity
173
Giving
174
Vegetarianism
176
Rules about Svetambara ascetic behaviour
177
the religious death
179
The role of the acarya
181
The lay person
187
What should a layman do?
189
Banarsidas
192
Wealth honour and piety
195
Bidding
198
Fasting
199
Worship
200
Puja
204
The puja of eight substances
207
The purpose of puja
209
Goddesses
212
Yearly festivals
214
Pilgrimage and holy places
218
Historical background
219
Mount Satrunjaya
222
Sravaga Belgola
223
Jain relativism and attitudes towards Hinduism and Buddhism
227
The doctrine of manypointedness
229
The Jains and the Hindus
233
The Jains and the Buddhists
240
Recent developments
245
Lonka
246
The Sthanakvasis
251
Acarya Bhiksu and the Terapanth
254
Srimad Rajacandra
262
The Kanji Svami Panth
265
The Jain diaspora and the modern world
271
The future
275
Glossary
277
Notes
281
Sources in Sanskrit and Prakrit
307
Bibliography of secondary sources
311
Index
336
Copyright

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About the author (2003)

Paul Dundas is senior lecturer in Sanskrit in the School of Asian Studies, University of Edinburgh, specialising in middle Indo-Aryan philology and the Jain religion. He is the author of The Sattasai and its Commentators

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