Askese und Devotion: Das rituelle System der Terapanth Svetambara Jaina.

• Author: Freiberger, Oliver

Askese und Devotion: Das rituelle System der Terapanth Svetambara Jaina. 2 vols. By PETER FLÜGEL. Alt- und Neu-Indische Studien, vol. 56. Dettelbach: J.H. RÖLL, 2018. Pp. 1227. [euro]229.

This monumental work, written by a distinguished scholar of Jainism and one of the most proficient advocates for Jain studies in the West, is a comprehensive study of the Terapanth, one of the three major sects in the Svetambara branch of Jainism. Its focus lies on the development of its ritual system and organizational structure since the foundation of the sect in 1760. The general outline of the work is clear and simple enough: Introduction; The Monks and Nuns; The Lay Followers; The Interaction between Mendicants and Lay Followers; Conclusion. But the enormous scope of this 1227-page, two-volume work is hard to convey. Thankfully, the author decided to include a twelve-page (!) detailed table of contents that systematically lists chapters, sections, subsections, etc. The often-shunned and easily mocked multidigit classification system--we find, for instance, the section 5.1.3.1.4.6--comes in extremely handy for navigating this massive work. Studying the table of contents alone is very instructive. Let me provide a broad survey of the work by listing the chapters and only the top-level sections.

The introductory chapter, "Modern Jainism," discusses Jain teachings as a theory of action; soul and society; the fundamental problem in Jainism; and the sociology of Jainism. Part I, "Monks and Nuns," comprises four chapters. The chapter "On the History of the Jain Sects" includes sections on time calculation and historical awareness; structure and development of monastic organizations; group categories; monastic offices; and the development and structure of the subsects. The next chapter, "The Terapanth Order," has sections on the order's history; teachings; monastic rules; the function of the rules; monastic organization; service; and daily routine. The chapter "On the Social Origins of Terapanth Monks and Nuns" includes sections on the demography of the monastic community; on Terapanth mendicants and Osavala castes in Rajasthan; the history and social structure of Osavala castes; the relationship between gaccha and jati; and the replication of social categories within the order. And the chapter "Initiation into the Order" includes sections on the ordination ritual for monks in the Svetambara canon; rules for admission; the Terapanth politics of recruitment...