ABSTRACT
The contrast between the pluralistic and self-sufficient currents in Jain society presents an apparent paradox. It is therefore possible to form an impression of Jain Dharma as a closed system that has little or no relevance except as a cultural curiosity. Paul Dundas, a British historian of Jainism, stops short of this position, but views Jain doctrines as worth examining primarily within the context of the culture and circumstances in which they have evolved. Both the 'universalist' and 'exotic' views of Jainism start from a Western or 'Eurocentric' frame of reference, emphasising its otherness and unfamiliar or arcane practices. To the external observer, Jainism can appear unyielding and extreme, but in practice it is a flexible philosophy of life with a pragmatic stance. Jainism's intrinsic value is that it is a non-Western philosophy in which the human response to the environment plays a central role, albeit as a means towards ultimately leaving that environment behind.
