Jainism
This is also known as Jain Dharma.
This is an Indian religion whose 3 main pillars are nonviolence (ahimsa), asceticism (aparigraha), & a rejection of all simplistic & one-sided views of truth & reality (anekantavada).
Jainism traces its spiritual ideas & history through the succession of 24 tirthankaras, the supreme preachers of Dharma, across the current half (avasarpini) of the time cycle of Rishabhadeva. Tradition holds that they lived millions of years ago. The 23rd tirthankara is Parshvanatha. Traditionally dated to the 9th century BCE. The 24th tirthankara is Mahavira, who lived circa the 6th or 5th century BCE. Jainism was 1 of a number of Sramana religions that developed in the Greater Magadha cultural region.
Jainism is considered an eternal dharma with the tirthankara guiding every time cycle of cosmology. Central to understand Jain philosophy is the concept of bhedavijnana, or the clear distinction in the nature of the soul & non-soul entities.
This principle underscores the innate purity & potential for liberation within every soul. This is distinct from the physical & mental elements that bind it to the cycle of birth & rebirth. Recognizing, & internalizing, this separation is essential for spiritual progress & the attainment of self-realization (or samyaka Darshana). This marks the beginning of the aspirant’s journey towards liberation.
Jain monks take 5 main vows: non-violence (ahimsa), truth (Satya), not stealing (asteya), chastity (brahmacharya), & non-possessiveness (aparigraha).
Parasparpagraha jivanam is the Jain’s motto. This is the function of souls is to help one another. The Namokar Mantra is its most common & strongest prayer.
There’s 2 major sub-sects: Digambaras & Svetambaras. They hold different views on ascetic practices, gender, & the texts that are canonical.
Outside of India, some of the biggest Jain communities are found in Canada, Europe, the United States, & Japan.
Dravya means substances or entities in Sanskrit. Jains believe the universe is made up of 6 eternal substances:
- Sentient beings, or souls (jiva)
- Non-sentient substance or matter (pudgala)
- The principle of motion (dharma)
- The principle of rest (adharma)
- Space (akasa)
- Time (kala)
The last 5 are united as the ajiva (non-living). Jains make the difference between a substance of a complex body or thing by saying the former is a simple indestructible element. While the latter is a compound made of 1, or more, substances that can be destroyed.
Tattva indicates reality, or truth, in Jain philosophy & is the framework for salvation. According to Digambara Jains, there’s 7 tattvas:
- The sentient (Jiva or living)
- The insentient (Ajiva or non-living)
- The karmic rush to the soul (Asrava, which is a mix of living & non-living)
- The bondage of karmic particles to the soul (Bandha)
- The stoppage of karmic particles to the soul (Samvara)
- The wiping away of past karmic particles (Nirjara)
- The liberation (Moksha)
Svetambaras add 2 more tattvas. Namely: good karma (Punya) & bad karma (Paapa). The true insight in Jain philosophy is considered as “faith in the tattvas.” The spiritual goal in Jainism is to reach moksha for ascetics. But for most Jain lay-people, it’s to gather good karma that leads to better rebirth & a step closer to liberation.
Jain philosophy accepts 3 reliable means of knowledge (Pramana). It holds that correct knowledge is based on perception (Pratyakasa), inference (Anumana), & testimony (Sabda or the Word of Scriptures). These ideas are detailed in Jain texts such as Tattvarthasutra, Parvacanasara, Nandi, & Anuyogadvarini. Some Jain texts add analogy (Upamana) as the 4th reliable means.
In Jainism, jnana (knowledge) is said to be of 5 kinds:
- Mati jnana (Sensory knowledge)
- Srutu jnana (Scriptual knowledge)
- Avadhi jnana (Clairvoyance)
- Manah prayaya Jnana (Telepathy)
- Kevala jnana (Omniscience)
According to the Jain text, Tattvartha Sutra, the first 2 are indirect knowledge & the remaining 3 are direct knowledge.
There are multiple/numerous souls. But every 1 of them has 3 qualities (Guna): consciousness (Chaitanya, the most important), bliss (Sukha), & vibrational energy (Virya). It further claims the vibration draws karmic particles to the soul & creates bondages. But it also add merit, or demerit, to the soul.
Jain texts state that souls exist as “clothed with material bodies,” wherein they fill the body. Karma, as in other Indian religions, connotes the universal cause-and-effect in Jainism. It’s intended as a material substance (subtle matter) that can bind to the soul, travel with the soul in bound form between rebirths, & affect the suffering & happiness experienced by the jiva in the lokas. Karma is believed to obscure & obstruct the innate & striving of the soul, as well as its spiritual potential in the next rebirth.
The conceptual structure of the Samsara doctrine differs between Jainism & other Indian religions. Soul (jiva) is accepted as a truth, as in Hinduism, but not in Buddhism. The cycles of rebirths have a definite beginning & end in Jainism. Jain theosophy contends that each soul passes through Samsara, going through 5 types of bodies: earth bodies, water bodies, fire bodies, & vegetable lives. They constantly do all human & non-human activities from rainfall to breathing.
Harming any life form is a sin in Jainism, with adverse karmic effects. Jainism states that souls begin in a primordial state, & either evolve to a higher state, & either evolve to a higher state or regress if driven by their karma.
Souls can be good or evil in Jainism. Unlike the non-dualism of some forms of Hinduism & Buddhism. In Jainism, a Siddha (liberated soul) has gone beyond Samasara, is the apex, is omniscient, & remains there eternally.
Jain texts suggest that the universe consists of many eternal lokas (realms of existence). As in Buddhism & Hinduism, time is considered separate from the soul (jiva). The universe, body, matter, & time are considered separate from the soul (jiva). Their interaction explains life, living, death, & rebirth in Jain philosophy.
The Jain cosmic universe has 3 parts: the upper, middle, & lower worlds (urdhva loka, madhya loka, & adho loka). Jainism states that Kala (time) is without beginning & eternal, the cosmic wheel of time (kalachakra) rotates endlessly. In this part of the universe, there’s 6 periods of time within 2 eons (ara), & in the 1st eon, the universe generates, & in the next, it degenerates.
It divides the worldly cycle of time into 2 1/2-cycles, utsarpini (ascending, progressive prosperity, & happiness) & avasarpini (descending, increasing sorrow & immorality). It states that the world is currently in the 5th area of avasarpini, full of sorrow & religious decline. This is where the height of living beings shrink. According to Jainism, after the 6th ara, the universe will be reawakened in a new cycle.
Jainism is a transtheistic religion, holding that the universe wasn’t created & will exist forever. It’s independent, having no creator, governor, judge, or destroyer. Jainism believes in the world of heavenly & hellish beings who are born, die, & reborn like earthly beings. The souls who live happily in the body of a heavenly celestial do so because of their positive karma.
They possess a more transcendent knowledge about material things & can anticipate events in the human realms. Once their karmic merit is exhausted, it’s said that their souls are reborn again as humans, animals, or other beings.
The perfect enlightened souls without a body are called Arihants (victors) & perfect souls without a body are called Siddhas (liberated souls). Only a soul with a human body can attain enlightenment & liberation.
The liberated beings are the supreme beings & are worshipped by all heavenly, earthly, & hellish beings who aspire to attain liberation themselves.
Purification of the soul & liberation can be achieved through the path of 3 jewels:
- Correct View (Samyak Darsana): meaning faith, acceptance of the soul (jiva)
- Correct Knowledge (Samyak Charitra): meaning behavior undoubting knowledge of the tattvas
- Correct Conduct (Samyak Charita): meaning behavior consistent with the 5 vows
Jain texts often add samyak tapas (Correct Asceticism) as a 4th jewel. This highlights a belief in ascetic practices as the means to liberation (moksha). The 4 jewels are called Moksha Marga (the path of liberation).
A foundational tenet of Jainism is: ahimsa (non-violence or non-injury). It holds that 1 must abandon all violent activity & that without such a commitment to non-violence all religious behavior is worthless.
In Jain theology, it doesn’t matter how correct, or defensible, the violence may be, 1 must unalive or harm any being & non-violence is the highest religious duty. Jain texts such as Acaranga Sutra & Tattvarthasutra state that 1 must renounce all killing of living beings, whether tiny or large, movable or immovable. Its Theology teaches that 1 must neither kill another living being, nor cause another to kill, nor consent to any killing directly or indirectly. They also believe in non-violence against all beings with speech & in thought.
Jains believe that violence negatively affects & destroys one’s soul. Particularly when the violence is done with intent, hate, or carelessness, or when 1 indirectly causes or consents to the killing of a human or non-human living being. There are examples in Jain texts that condone fighting & killing under certain circumstances that are relatively rare.
The 2nd main principle of Jainism is: anekantavada. This is from anekanta (“many-sidedness,” “non-oneness,” or “not being one”) & vada (“doctrine”).
The doctrine states that truth & reality are complex & always have many aspects. It further states that reality can be experienced. But cannot be fully expressed with language. It suggests that human attempts to communicate are Naya, “partial expression of the truth.”
According to it, 1 can experience the taste of truth, but cannot fully express that taste through language. It holds that attempts to express experience are syat, or valid “in some respect.” But remains “perhaps, just 1 perspective, incomplete.” It ends that in the same way, spiritual truths can be experienced but not fully expressed.
It concludes that in the same way, spiritual truths can be experienced but not fully expressed. It suggests that the great error is belief in ekanta (one-sideness), where some relative truth is treated as absolute.
This doctrine is ancient. It’s found in Buddhist texts such as the Samannaphala Sutta. The Jain Agamas suggest that Mahavira’s approach to answering all metaphysical philosophical questions was a “qualified yes” (syat).
These texts identify anekantavada as a key difference from Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha taught the Middle Way, rejecting extremes of the answer “it is” or “it is not,” to metaphysical questions.
The Mahavira, in contrast, taught his followers to accept both “it is,” & it is not,” qualified with “perhaps,” to understand Absolute Reality. The permanent being is conceptualized as jiva (soul) & Ajiva (matter) within a dualistic anekantavada framework.
The 3rd main principle in Jainism is aparigraha, which means non-attachment to worldly possessions. For monks & nuns, Jainism requires a vow of complete non-possession of any property, relations, & emotions.
The ascetic is a wandering mendicant in the Digambara tradition, or a resident mendicant in the Svetambara tradition. For Jain laypersons, it recommends limited possession of property that has been honestly earned, & giving property to charity. According to Natubhai Shah, aparigraha applies to both the material & the psychic.
Material possessions refer to various forms of property. Psychic possessions refers to emotions, likes, & dislikes, & attachments of any form. Unchecked attachment to possessions is said to result in direct harm to one’s personality.
Jainism teaches 5 ethical duties, which it calls 5 vows. These are called anuvratas (small vows) for Jain laypersons & Mahabharata (great vows) for Jain mendicants. For both, its moral precepts preface that the deva (Jina, god), doctrine, & that the individual is free from 5 offences: doubts about the faith, indecisiveness about the truths of Jainism, insincerity of desire for Jain teachings, non-recognition of fellow Jains, & insufficient admiration of fellow Jains’ spiritual endeavors.
Such a person undertakes the following 5 vows of Jainism:
- Ahimsa, “intentional non-violence” or “non-injury.” The 1st major vow taken by Jains is to cause no harm to other human beings. As well all living beings, particularly animals. This is the highest ethical duty in Jainism. It applies not only to one’s actions, but demands that 1 be non-violent in one’s speech & thoughts.
- Satya, “truth.” This vow is to always speak the truth. Neither lie, nor speak what’s not true, & don’t encourage others or approve anyone who speaks an untruth.
- Asteya, “not stealing.” A Jain layperson shouldn’t take it if something is being given.
- Brahmacharya, “celibacy.” Abstinence from sex & sensual pleasures is prescribed for Jain monks & nuns. For lay people, the vow means chastity, faithfulness to one’s partner.
- Aparigraha, “non-possessiveness.” This includes non-attachment to material & psychological possessions, avoiding craving & Creed. Jain monks & nuns completely renounce property & social relations, own nothing, & are attached to no one.
Jainism prescribes 7 supplementary vows. Including 3 guna vratas (merit vows) & 4 siksa vratas. The Sallekhana (or Santhara) vow is a “religious death” ritual observed at the end of life, historically by Jain monks & nuns. But it is rare in the modern age. In this vow, there’s voluntary & gradual reduction of food & liquid intake to end one’s life by choice & with dispassion. This is believed to reduce negative karma that affects a soul’s future rebirths.
Of the major Indian religions, Jainism has had the strongest ascetic tradition. Ascetic life may include nakedness, symbolizing non-possession of even clothes, fasting, body mortification, & penance, to burn away past karma & stop producing new karma. Both of which are believed to be essential for reaching siddha & moksha (“liberation from rebirths” & salvation).
Jain texts like Tattvartha Sutra & Uttaradhyayana Sutra discuss austerities in detail. 6 outer & 6 inner practices are oft-repeated in later Jain texts.
Outer austerities include complete fasting, eating limited amounts, eating restricted items, abstaining from tasty foods, mortifying the flesh, & guarding the flesh (avoiding anything that’s a source of temptation).
Inner austeries include expiration, confession, respecting & assisting mendicants, studying, meditation, & ignoring bodily wants in order to abandon the body.
Lists of internal & external austerities vary with the text & tradition. Asceticism is viewed as a means to control desires, & to purify the soul (jiva). The tirthankaras such as the Mahavira (Vardhamana) set an example by performing sever austerities for 12 years.
One-Time Monthly Yearly
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
$1.00 $5.00 $10.00 $1.00 $5.00 $10.00 $5.00 $10.00 $15.00
Or enter a custom amount
$
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly
#23rdTirthankaraParshvanatha #24Tirthankaras #24thTirthankaraMahavira #7Tattvas #9thCenturyBC #Abhavya #AcarangaSutra #Adharma #Adholoka #Ahimsa #Ajiva #Akasa #Anekanta #Anekantavada #Anumana #Anuvratas #Anuyogadvarini #Aparigraha #Ara #Arihants #Asceticism #Asrava #Asteya #AvadhiJnana #Avasarpini #Bandha #Bhedavijnana #Brahmacharya #Buddhism #Canada #Chaitanya #circa5thCentury #circa6thCentury #CorrectAsceticism #CorrectConduct #CorrectKnowledge #CorrectView #Deva #Dharma #Digambaras #Dravya #Dualism #EternalDharma #Europe #FourJewels #GreaterMagadhaRegion #Guna #Guru #Hinduism #India #JainDharma #Jainism #Japan #Jiva #Jnana #Kala #Karma #KarmicParticles #KevalaJnana #Liberation #Lokas #MadhyaLoka #ManahPrayayaJnana #MatiJnana #Mendicants #MiddleWay #Moksha #MokshaMarga #Monks #NamokarMantra #Nandi #NatubnaiShah #Naya #Nirjara #Nondualism #Nonviolence #Nuns #Omniscience #Paapa #Parasparpagraha #ParasparpagrahaJivanam #Parvacanasara #Pramana #Pratyaksa #Pudgala #Punya #Reincarnation #Rishabhadeva #Sabda #Samsara #Samvara #SamyakCharita #SamyakDarsana #SamyakaDarsana #Sanskrit #Satya #Siddha #SramanaReligions #SrutuJnana #Sukha #Svetambara #Tattva #Tattvarthasutra #ThreeJewels #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Upamana #UrdhvaLoka #Utsarpini #Vada #Virya #WordOfScriptures
ButterWord
Spirituality & Religious Studies
xyhhx
Tero Keski-Valkama
Mac