Nice observation. Here’s a simple Jain perspective on this.

• Mahavir’s life: It is true that Mahavir spent many years in intense austerities and meditation-like practices before teaching. In Jain texts, this period is described as a deep tapas (austerity) and intense self-reflection that prepared him for awakening.

• Jain path in brief: Jainism emphasizes three jewels—right faith (samyak-darshan), right knowledge (samyak-jnana), and right conduct (samyak-charitra). The goal is purifying the soul so ajiva karmas are shed, leading to liberation. Meditation and inner bhav are tools, but they are always within the framework of ethical conduct, non-violence, truth, celibacy, and fasting/ascetic practices.

• Meditation in Jainism: Jain practice does include meditative elements such as kayotsarga (calmly directing the mind away from the body), bhavana (internal reflection), and daily practices like samayik (a fixed period of meditative concentration), pratikraman (repentance), and manana (contemplation). However, these are taught as part of a balanced path that also heavily emphasizes ethical living and restraint, not as a sole or exclusive path.

• Why it isn’t framed as “only meditation”: Jain path is designed as a holistic discipline—renunciation, non-violence, truthfulness, and disciplined conduct work together with inner, meditative practices. The aim is to uproot karma through both outer austerities and inner transformation, not to rely on meditation alone.

• Digambar vs. Shvetambar note: There are differences in emphasis on certain ascetic practices and how meditation is taught, but both traditions acknowledge meditation and inner reflection as important, within the broader Jain framework of right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct.

If you’d like, I can explain specific Jain meditative practices (like samayik or kayotsarga) in simple steps and their conceptual purpose within Jain ethics.