Contribution of the Jains in Developing Moral Fibres of the Indians

Summary

This article by Professor Satya Ranjan Banerjee surveys how Jain philosophy helped shape the moral fabric of the Indian people. The author begins with a preamble on the linguistic and cultural background of Jainism. Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit were the three major literary languages in which Jain scripture and philosophy developed. To study Indian culture one must remember the contributions of Pali and Prakrit, because Jain and Buddhist doctrines were originally expressed in these languages. The article stresses that Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism contributed jointly to Indian ethical thought. Banerjee then explains that Jain thinkers regard life as full of suffering for all beings in the heavens and hells. The way to alleviate suffering is to gain knowledge of its causes and gradually remove ignorance. Jain monks taught that men must build their character by acquiring certain moral qualities before they pursue knowledge. Those qualities are interwoven with the broader ethical values of Jainism. The core of the article is a discussion of the five great vows (pañca mahāvratas) that the Jains regard as the foundation of morality. Satya‑bhāṣaṇa (truth‑telling) is given pride of place; the author explains the etymology of satya and warns that lying leads to misery while truthfulness purifies the mind. Hemacandra’s Yogaśāstra and the writings of Robert Williams are cited for their descriptions of how falsehood degrades the liar. Banerjee next discusses asteya (non‑stealing). Drawing on Jain scripture and Manu’s laws, he notes that theft includes fraud, deception and all forms of dishonest appropriation. Mahāvīra taught that stealing breeds social chaos, so abstaining from taking what is not given fosters tolerance and tranquillity. Brahmacarya (celibacy) is the third major virtue. The author lists eighteen forms of abstinence, including abstaining from physical intercourse as well as eight mental or verbal expressions of lust such as passionate remembrance, secret conversation and imagination. Celibacy elevates the individual and protects society from moral decay. The fourth virtue, aparigraha (non‑possession), encourages people to renounce attachment to property. Banerjee explains that greed (lobha) arises from parigraha (possessiveness) and that even desires, anger and delusion originate in attachment. He quotes Bhagavad Gītā and Jain commentaries describing internal parigrahas (false belief, anger, pride, deceit and pleasure) and external ones (land, houses, gold, wealth, grain, servants and clothes). Without non‑possession people become greedy and society suffers. The article then moves to Jain concepts of guṇa‑traya or tri‑ratna (right vision, right knowledge and right conduct), and emphasises that liberation depends on properly combining these three. Control of speech, body and mind (trigupti) is presented as a measure of self‑restraint: one must avoid harsh or blasphemous language, discipline bodily activities by understanding the five types of bodies, and control mental activity. Throughout the article Banerjee illustrates these concepts with quotations from classical Jain texts and links them to broader Indian ethical traditions. He concludes that Jain moral principles such as truthfulness, non‑stealing, celibacy, non‑possession and self‑control contribute significantly to the ethical values of Indian society.