JAINISM
OVERVIEW
The majority of Jains currently reside in India. With 4–6 million followers Jainism is relatively small compared to major world religions.From the Buddhist and Jain records, it is clear that Jainism is older than Buddhism and was firmly established at the time of the origin of Buddhism. Famous for its promotion of nonviolence and often paired with Buddhism as one of ancient India's two greatest dissenting religions, its adherents are prominent in business, and some of modern India's wealthiest and most powerful families are Jains. The mendicants are a source of teaching and blessings for the laity, who in turn supply them with food and other forms of support.
Jain history can be viewed as a cycle. A period of rising called an Utsarpini in which human and natural conditions improve followed by a period of decline or Avasarpini in which things gradually get worse, weaken and corrupt. During the period of decline twenty-four persons are born who are unlike others of their time. When they see the suffering and misery in the world they renounce it and lead a path to perfection. They are called Crossing Makers or Tirthankaras and are born for the improvement of all living things. Their job as Jinas or Conquerors is to teach people how to follow the noble path of the Three Jewels or Triranta --right faith, right conduct and right knowledge." Jains do not believe in god but rather use the Tirthankaras as guides for their daily lives.
From the beginning, Jainism has been based on the concept of non-violence or ahimsa. Jains believe that every living thing, no matter how small, has a soul and should not be harmed. This is why Jains are strict vegetarians. This is also why you might see a very devout Jain sweeping the ground in front of him to avoid stepping on insects and wearing a mask of fabric over his/her mouth to avoid swallowing them.
Outside of India, large Jain communities can be found in the United States and Europe. The Jain population in USA is estimated to be about 10,000 to 200,000. Several Jain temples have been built in both of these places. Smaller Jain communities also exist in and Canada.
Jains developed a system of philosophy and ethics that had a great impact on Indian culture.
Historians place the earliest evidence of Jainism in the 9th century BC. Jainism is traditionally known as Jain dharma, is an ancient Indian religion. The origins of Jainism are obscure. Jainism is a philosophy of eternity, and Jains believe their religion to be eternal. There is truth in the Jaina idea that their religion goes back to a remote antiquity, the antiquity in question being that of the pre-Aryan so called Dravidian period.
It prescribes the path of ahiṃsā (non-violence) towards all living beings. Jains believe that a human being who has conquered all inner passions comes to possess omniscience; such a person is called a Jina (conqueror). The path practiced and preached by Jinas is Jainism, and the followers of the path are called Jains. Jain philosophy distinguishes the soul (consciousness) from the body (matter). Jains believe that all living beings are really soul, intrinsically perfect and immortal.
Souls in transmigration (that is, still undergoing repeated births and deaths) are said to be imprisoned in the body. Ahiṃsā (non-violence) and self-control are said to be the means to liberation. The liberated souls free from saṃsāra (transmigration) are worshiped as God. Ahiṃsā (non-violence) and Anekantavada (non-absolutism or multiplicity of viewpoints) are the major teachings of Jainism.
The very first aphorism of the Jain text Tattvartha sutra is: "Right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct (together) constitute the path to liberation”. Remnants of ancient Jain temples and cave temples can be found all around India.
A Jain prayer : "May I always have a friendly feeling towards all living beings of the world and may the stream of compassion always flow from my heart towards distressed and afflicted living beings."
Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by Jainism, adopting the Jain principles of asceticism, compassion for all forms of life, the importance of vows for self-discipline, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance among people of different creeds Mahatma Gandhi said:
No religion in the World has explained the principle of Ahimsa so deeply and systematically as is discussed with its applicability in every human life in Jainism. As and when the benevolent principle of Ahimsa or non-violence will be ascribed for practice by the people of the world to achieve their end of life in this world and beyond. Jainism is sure to have the uppermost status and Lord Mahāvīra is sure to be respected as the greatest authority on Ahimsa.
— Mahatma Gandhi
CENTRAL ORGANIZATION
In Jainism, monasticism is encouraged and respected. Monks and nuns live extremely austere and ascetic lifestyles. They follow the five main vows strictly and observe complete abstinence. Jain monks and nuns have neither a permanent home nor any possessions. They do not use vehicles and always travel barefoot from one place to another, irrespective of the distance. They wander from place to place except during the months of Chaturmas. They do not prepare food and live only on what people offer them.
Digambara monks and nuns carry a broom-like object, called a picchi (made from fallen peacock feathers) to sweep the ground ahead of them or before sitting down to avoid inadvertently crushing small insects. Svetambara monks carry a rayoharan (a broom-like object made from dense, thick thread strands). Jain monks have to follow six duties known as avashyakas: sāmāyika (practising serenity), chaturvimshati (praising the tirthankara), vandan (respecting teachers and monks), pratikramana (introspection), kayotsarga (stillness), and pratyakhyana (renunciation).
The monks of Jainism, whose presence is not needed for most Jain rituals, should not be confused with priests. However, some sects of Jainism often employ a pujari, who need not be a Jain, to perform special daily rituals and other priestly duties at the temple.
Jain communities are divided between a majority of lay men and women and a much smaller mendicant elite of peripatetic monks and nuns. The mendicants are a source of teaching and blessings for the laity, who in turn supply them with food and other forms of support. A disagreement over monastic discipline underlies the division between Jainism's two main sects: the Shvetambaras (white-clad), whose monks and nuns wear white garments, and the Digambaras (space-clad), whose monks wear no clothing.
Meditation
Jains practise a type of meditation called Sāmāyika, a vow of periodic concentration. It is one of the essential duties to be performed by the householder and the ascetics. The preposition sam means one state of being. To become one is samaya. That, which has oneness as its object, is sāmāyikam.Sāmāyika is aimed at developing equanimity and to refrain from injury. The goal of sāmāyika is to achieve a feeling of perfect calmness and to understand the unchanging truth of the self. Such meditation is based on contemplation of the universe and the reincarnation of self.
Sāmāyika is particularly important during the Paryushana religious festival. It is believed that meditation will assist in managing and balancing one's passions. Great emphasis is placed on the internal control of thoughts since they influence behavior, actions and goal.
CREATIONIST BELIEF
Jain texts reject the idea of a creator or destroyer God and postulate an eternal universe.
Jain texts propound that the universe was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. It is independent and self-sufficient, and does not require any superior power to govern it. Elaborate descriptions of the shape and function of the physical and metaphysical universe, and its constituents, are provided in the canonical Jain texts, in commentaries and in the writings of the Jain philosopher-monks.
According to the Jain texts, the universe is divided into three parts, the upper, middle, and lower worlds, called respectively urdhva loka, madhya loka, and adho loka. It is made up of six constituents: Jīva, the living entity; Pudgala, matter; Dharma tattva, the substance responsible for motion; Adharma tattva, the substance responsible for rest; Akāśa, space; and Kāla, time.
Division of time as envisaged by Jains. Kāla (time) is without beginning and eternal; the cosmic wheel of time, called kālachakra, rotates ceaselessly. According to Jain texts, in this part of the universe, there is rise and fall during the six periods of the two aeons of regeneration and degeneration. Thus, the worldly cycle of time is divided into two parts or half-cycles, ascending (utsarpiṇī) and descending (avasarpiṇī). Utsarpiṇī is a period of progressive prosperity, where happiness increases, while avasarpiṇī is a period of increasing sorrow and immorality.
According to Jain cosmology, currently we are in the 5th era of avasarpiṇī (half time cycle of degeneration). As of 2016, exactly 2,538 years have elapsed, and 18,460 years are still left. The present age is one of sorrow and misery. In this era, though religion is practiced in lax and diluted form, no liberation is possible. At the end of this era, even the Jain religion will disappear, only to appear again with the advent of the first Tīrthankara after the 42,000 years of next utsarpiṇī are over.
VISION OF GOD
Jains are polytheists and pantheists as they believe that every living being has a potential to become God - they believe in reincarnation and seek moksha, once a soul is liberated it is worthy of being labelled a God. However, Jains reject the notion of a creator and do not believe that any external Being can help the soul. This notion has led some to consider Jains as atheists.
The Jains believe in rebirth of the soul. That means they believe that when a living being dies the soul is born in another body. Eventually Jains hope to break free of the cycle of birth and rebirth and gain salvation. By leading a good life, Jains believe they will have a better rebirth and move closer to salvation. The code of conduct for leading a good life is truthfulness, not stealing, not being possessive, non-violence, and chastity.
DENOMINATIONS
A disagreement over monastic discipline underlies the division between Jainism's two main sects: the Shvetambaras (white-clad), whose monks and nuns wear white garments, and the Digambaras (space-clad), whose monks wear no clothing.
RELIGIOUS TEXTS
All Jains believe that their most ancient scriptures, known as the Purvas, have been lost, and that existing texts represent only a remnant of Mahavira's actual teachings.
The Shvetambara canon, usually said to consist of forty-five texts, probably assumed its present form in the fifth century c.e. Its most important texts are the twelve Angas (or limbs, one of which has been lost) and twelve Upangas (subsidiary limbs); they deal with a vast range of subjects, including doctrine, monastic discipline, duties of the laity, cosmography, and much else. The Digambaras reject the Shvetambara canon as inauthentic. Their most important texts, each containing material on the soul and the nature of its bondage, are two: the Shatkhandagam (Scripture in Six Parts), dating from the second century c.e., and a slightly later work entitled Kasayaprabhata (Treatise on the Passions).
Some of the most famous Jain texts include Samayasara, Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra, and Niyamasara.
In the beginning of the mediaeval period, between the 9th and 13th centuries, Kannada authors were predominantly Jains and Lingayatis. Jains were the earliest known cultivators of Kannada literature, which they dominated until the 12th century. Jains wrote about the tirthankaras and other aspects of the faith. Adikavi Pampa is one of the greatest Kannada poets.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
According to Jainism, there are six simple substances in existence, namely, Soul, Matter, Time, Space, Dharma and Adharma. Jain philosophers distinguish a substance from a body (or thing) by declaring the former to be a simple element or reality and the latter a compound of one or more substances or atoms. They claim that there can be a partial or total destruction of a body or thing, but no substance can ever be destroyed.
The soul-substance, called Jīva in Jainism, is distinguished from the remaining five substances (Matter, Time, Space, Dharma and Adharma), collectively called ajīva, by the intelligence with which the soul-substance is endowed, an intelligence not found in the other substances.The nature of the soul-substance is said to be freedom. In its modifications, it is said to be the subject of knowledge and enjoyment, or suffering, in varying degrees, according to its circumstances.Jain texts expound that all living beings are really soul, intrinsically perfect and immortal. Souls in transmigration are said to be embodied in the body as if in a prison.
Substance is the sub-strate of qualities which cannot exist apart from it, for instance, the quality of fluidity, moisture, and the like only exist in water and cannot be conceived separately from it. It is neither possible to create nor to destroy a substance, which means that there never was a time when the existing substances were not, nor shall they ever cease to be.
The main teachings of Jainism include Ahiṃsā, Anekantavada, and Parasparopagraho Jivanam with ahiṃsā being the first and foremost.
1.Ahiṃsā,
Jain votaries are required to observe five fundamental vows with Ahimsa (not to injure any living being) being the first and foremost. Thus, Jains practice include strict vegetarianism and asceticism. Parasparopagraho Jivanam ("The function of souls is to help one another.") is the motto of Jainism.
2. Anekantavada
The second main principle of Jainism is anekāntavāda (non-absolutism which means maintaining open-mindedness. This includes the recognition of all perspectives and a humble respect for differences in beliefs. Jainism encourages its adherents to consider the views and beliefs of their rivals and opposing parties. The principle of anekāntavāda influenced Mahatma Gandhi to adopt principles of religious tolerance and ahiṃsā. Anekāntavāda is more formally stated by observing that objects are infinite in their qualities and modes of existence, so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. Accordingly, no single, specific human view can claim to represent absolute truth.
3. Aparigraha
Jains believe that all living beings are really soul, intrinsically perfect and immortal. Souls in transmigration (that is, still undergoing repeated births and deaths) are said to be imprisoned in the body. Ahiṃsā (non-violence) and self-control are said to be the means to liberation. The liberated souls free from saṃsāra (transmigration) are worshiped as God. Ahiṃsā (non-violence) and Anekantavada (non-absolutism or multiplicity of viewpoints) are the major teachings of Jainism.
General Beliefs
Matter (Pudgala) is considered a non-intelligent substance consisting of an infinity of particles or atoms which are eternal. These atoms are said to possess sensible qualities, namely, taste, smell, color and, in certain forms, touch and sound.
Time is said to be the cause of continuity and succession.
Space is divided by the Jainas into two parts, namely, the lokākāśa, that is the space occupied by the universe, and the alokākāśa, the portion beyond the universe. The lokākāśa is the portion in which are to be found the remaining five substances, i.e., souls, Matter, Time, Dharma and Adharma; but the alokākāśa is the region of pure space containing no other substance and lying stretched on all sides beyond bounds of the three worlds (the entire universe).
Jain philosophy is based on seven fundamentals which are known as tattva, which attempt to explain the nature of karmas and provide solutions for the ultimate goal of liberation of the soul (moksha): These are:
Jīva – the soul, which is characterized by consciousness
Ajīva – non-living entities that consist of matter, space and time
Āsrava (influx) – the inflow of auspicious and evil karmic matter into the soul
Bandha (bondage) – mutual intermingling of the soul and karmas. The karma masks the jiva and restricts it from reaching its true potential of perfect knowledge and perception.
Saṃvara (stoppage) – obstruction of the inflow of karmic matter into the soul
Nirjarā (gradual dissociation) – the separation or falling off of part of karmic matter from the soul
Moksha (liberation) – complete annihilation of all karmic matter (bound with any particular soul)
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
In Jainism, the purpose of prayer is to break the barriers of worldly attachments and desires and to assist in the liberation of the soul. Jains do not pray for any favors, material goods or rewards.
Therefore, Jains extend the practice of nonviolence not only towards other humans but towards all living beings. For this reason, vegetarianism is a hallmark of Jain identity, with the majority of Jains practicing lacto vegetarianism. If there is violence against animals during the production of dairy products, veganism is encouraged.
After nonviolence towards humans, animals and insects, Jains make efforts not to injure plants any more than necessary. Although they admit that plants must be destroyed for the sake of food, they accept such violence only as much as it is indispensable for human survival. Strict Jains, including monastics, do not eat root vegetables such as potatoes, onions and garlic because tiny organisms are injured when the plant is pulled up and because a bulb or tuber's ability to sprout is seen as characteristic of a living being.
Jainism has a very elaborate framework on types of life and includes life-forms that may be invisible. Jains believe that the intent and emotions behind an act of violence are more important than the action itself. For example, if a person kills another living being out of carelessness and then later regrets the act, the bondage (bandha) of karma is less compared to when a person kills the same kind of living being with anger, revenge, etc. A soldier acting in self-defense is a different type of violence from someone killing another person out of hatred or revenge. Violence or war in self-defense may be justified, but this must only be used as a last resort after peaceful measures have been thoroughly exhausted.
The Swastika is an important Jain symbol. The four arms of the swastika symbolize the four states of existence according to Jainism.
Heavenly being (devas)
Human being
Hellish being
Tiryancha (subhuman like flora or fauna).
HOLIDAYS
Major festivals include Paryushana, Mahavir Jayanti and Diwali.
Paryushana or Daslakshana is the most important annual event for Jains, and is usually celebrated in August or September.It lasts 8–10 days and is a time when lay people increase their level of spiritual intensity often using fasting and prayer/meditation to help. The five main vows are emphasized during this time. The last day involves a focused prayer/meditation session known as Samvatsari Pratikramana.
At the conclusion of the festival, followers request forgiveness from others for any offenses committed during the last year. Forgiveness is asked by saying Micchami Dukkadam to others, which means, "If I have caused you offence in any way, knowingly or unknowingly, in thought, word or action, then I seek your forgiveness." The literal meaning of Paryushana is "abiding" or "coming together".
Mahavir Jayanti, the birth of Mahāvīra, the last tirthankara of this era, is usually celebrated in late March or early April based on the lunar calendar.
Diwali is a festival that marks the anniversary of Mahāvīra's attainment of moksha. Gautama Swami, the chief disciple of Lord Mahāvīra, attained omniscience (Keval Jñāna) later the same day (kartika-amavasya).
Some other festivals celebrated by Jains are Akshaya Tritiya and Raksha Bandhan.
PILGRIMAGES
Jain pilgrim sites include:
Siddhakshetra – Site of the moksha of an arihant (kevalin) or Tirthankara, such as Mount Kailash, Shikharji, Girnar, Pawapuri and Champapuri (capital of Anga).
Atishayakshetra – Locations where divine events have occurred, such as Mahavirji, Rishabhdeo, Kundalpur, Tijara Jain Temple, Aharji.
Puranakshetra – Places associated with lives of great men, such as Ayodhya, Vidisha, Hastinapur, and Rajgir.
Gyanakshetra – Places associated with famous acharyas, or centers of learning, such as Shravanabelagola.
HEAVEN AND HELL
According to Jain cosmology, the universe and everything in it is eternal. Nothing that exists now was ever created, nor will it be destroyed. The universe consists of three realms: the heavens, the earth and the hells.
Jains believe that the cosmos contains an infinite number of immaterial and indestructible souls (jivas ). In common with other Indic traditions, the Jains also believe that each soul is reborn after death, and that the type of body it inhabits depends on the moral character of its deeds in past lives. According to Jainism, souls exist in every cranny of the cosmos: they inhabit the bodies of deities, humans, the inhabitants of hell, and plants and animals, and are also present in earth, water, fire, and air. Because the cosmos was never created, each soul has been wandering from one embodied state to another from beginning less time, and will continue to do so for infinite time to come unless it achieves liberation.
The cause of the soul's bondage is karma (action), which in other Indic religious traditions refers to the process by which one's good or bad acts give rise to consequences to be experienced in one's present or subsequent lives. The Jains, however, maintain that karma is an actual material substance (often likened to a kind of dust) that pervades the cosmos; it adheres to the soul, and the encumbrance of accumulated karmic matter is responsible for the soul's continuing rebirth. Karmic matter is drawn toward the soul by volitional actions, and its adhesion to the soul is a consequence of the emotional state of the actor. The passions, especially those of desire and aversion, create a moisture-like stickiness that causes karmic matter to build up on the soul.
To achieve liberation, therefore, one must avoid attracting more karmic matter and shed one's already existing accumulations. This is a complex and arduous process that begins with the awakening of faith in Jain teachings and ends with the removal of the last vestiges of the soul's burden of karmic matter. The liberated soul then rises to the abode of liberated souls at the top of the cosmos, where it will exist for all of endless time to come in a condition of omniscient bliss.
Avoiding violence is essential to one's progress toward liberation. Because violent actions are associated with the passions that contribute to the influx and adhesion of karmic matter, Jains are strongly committed to nonviolence (ahimsa ). At a minimum, Jains should be vegetarian. Observant Jains avoid even vegetarian foods deemed to involve excessive violence in their acquisition or preparation. Root vegetables such as potatoes are proscribed because they are believed to contain multiple souls. Such restrictions are most onerous for monks and nuns who are debarred from activities that run the risk of harming even the humblest and most microscopic of living things. Lay Jains have been attracted to business precisely because buying, selling, and banking are activities that do not involve physical violence.
Ascetic practice is also essential to the attainment of liberation. Often likened to a fire that burns away karmic matter, ascetic practice subdues harmful passions that bring about the influx and adhesion of karmic matter and removes already existing karmic accumulations. Jain mendicants are renowned for the severity of their asceticism, and even lay Jains are expected to engage in periodic fasts and other ascetic practices.
According to Jain belief, souls, intrinsically pure, possess the qualities of infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss, and infinite energy in their ideal state. In reality, however, these qualities are found to be obstructed due to the soul's association with karmic matter. The ultimate goal in Jainism is the realization of reality.
The relationship between the soul and karma is explained by the analogy of gold. Gold is always found mixed with impurities in its natural state. Similarly, the ideal pure state of the soul is always mixed with the impurities of karma. Just like gold, purification of the soul may be achieved if the proper methods of refining are applied. The Jain karmic theory is used to attach responsibility to individual action and is cited to explain inequalities, suffering and pain. Tirthankara-nama-karma is a special type of karma, bondage of which raises a soul to the supreme status of a tirthankara.
In Jain philosophy, the fourteen stages through which a soul must pass in order to attain liberation (moksha) are called Gunasthāna. These are:
1. Mithyātva Gross ignorance. The stage of wrong believer
2. Sasādana -Vanishing faith, i.e., the condition of the mind while actually falling down from the fourth stage to the first stage.
3. Mishradrshti- Mixed faith and false belief.
4. Avirata samyagdrshti- Right Faith unaccompanied by Right Conduct.
5. Deśavirata -The stage of partial self-control (Śrāvaka)
6. Pramatta Sanyati –First step of life as a Jain muni (monk).The stage of complete self-discipline, although sometimes brought into wavering through negligence.
7. Apramatta Sanyati -Complete observance of Mahavratas (Major Vows)
8. Apūrvakaraņa -New channels of thought.
9. Anivāttibādara-sāmparāya -Advanced thought-activity
10. Sukshma sāmparāya -Slight greed left to be controlled or destroyed.
11. Upaśānta-kasāya -The passions are still associated with the soul, but they are temporarily out of effect on the soul.
12. Ksīna kasāya -Desirelessness, i.e., complete eradication of greed
13. Sayoga kevali (Arihant) -Omniscience with vibrations. Sa means "with" and yoga refers to the three channels of activity, i.e., mind, speech and body.
14. Ayoga kevali -The stage of omniscience without any activity. This stage is followed by the soul's destruction of the aghātiā karmas.
At the second-to-last stage, a soul destroys all inimical karmas, including the knowledge-obscuring karma which results in the manifestation of infinite knowledge (Kevala Jnana), which is said to be the true nature of every soul.
Those who pass the last stage are called siddha and become fully established in Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct. According to Jain texts, after the total destruction of karmas the released pure soul (Siddha) goes upto the summit of universe (Siddhashila) and dwells there in eternal bliss.
The soul removes its ignorance (mithyatva) at the 4th stage, vowlessness (avirati) at the 6th stage, passions (kashaya) at the 12th stage, and yoga (activities of body, mind and speech) at the 14th stage, and thus attains liberation.
SOCIAL ORDER
Jain communities are divided between a majority of lay men and women and a much smaller mendicant elite of peripatetic monks and nuns. Jains encourage their monastics to do research and obtain higher education. Monks and nuns, particularly in Rajasthan, have published numerous research monographs.
Ordinary lay persons are householders. When householders decide to undertake the renounced life, they first must live with monks or nuns for a time being. If, after learning more about religion and observing the renounced life, they still wish to undertake it, they take the five vows and become a sadhu or a sadhvi. In addition to keeping these vows carefully, Jain monks and nuns observe other special practices that set them apart.
According to the 2001 Indian census, Jains have the highest degree of literacy of any religious community in India (94.1 percent) and their manuscript libraries are the oldest in the country. Jain libraries, including those at Patan and Jaisalmer, have a large number of well-preserved manuscripts.
There are five levels on the path of human development:
-Sadhus (monks) and sadhvis (nuns)
-Upadhyayas (teachers of the scriptures and philosophy)
-Acharyas (leaders of the monastic community) - Arihantas (liberated souls that have attained salvation; both Ordinary and Tirthankar and have achieved divinity. They can help others until death when they become siddhas)
- Siddhas (liberated souls who reside in the highest level of heaven. They have no form and are detached from the earth)
INITIATION
To take initiation Diksa means to follow the strict path to liberation, through the total renunciation of the worldly attachments and complete devotion to the Guru, spiritual guide.
Thus, practically initiations inner acceptance of the discipline of the Gurufor spiritual upbringing. When one gets initiated into the nun or monk hood, one takes five major vows and act strictly in accordance with those vows .
The vows are:
Nonviolence, truthfulness, non -stealing, celibacy, and non-attachment.
The monks and nuns are also strict vegetarians and do not eat before sunrise or after sunset.
PURPOSE OF LIFE
For Jains, the purpose of life is to attain Moksa, or release, from the cycle of rebirth.
The ultimate goal of life, in Jainism, is liberation from the karmic bondage to attain eternal peace, bliss and wisdom.
Jainism firmly believes that divinity is within us. Each human being is essentially or potentially divine.
To unfold the divinity we need to remove the karmic dust accumulated by our own actions. The path to liberate from the dust is threefold —right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.
CONCLUSION
Once a major religion, Jainism declined due to a number of factors, including proselytizing by other religious groups, persecution, withdrawal of royal patronage, sectarian fragmentation and the absence of central leadership. Jainism has faced rivalry with Buddhism and the various Hindu sects. The Jains suffered isolated violent persecutions by these groups, but the main factor responsible for the decline of their religion was the success of Hindu reformist movements. The influence of Jainism can clearly be seen on Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism.
The decline of Jainism continued after the Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent. The Muslims rulers further oppressed the Jain community. They vandalized idols and destroyed temples or converted them into mosques. They also burned the Jain books and killed Jains. Some conversions were peaceful, however.
The Jains enjoyed amicable relations with the rulers of the tributary Hindu kingdoms during this period; however, their number and influence had diminished significantly due to their rivalry with the Shaivite and Vaisnavite sects.
Like all religions, Jainism is criticized and praised for some of its practices and beliefs. The Sallekhana (or Santhara), a vow observed by pious Jains, is a particular area of controversy. In this vow a votary voluntarily decides to gradually reduce food intake under some conditions. These condition are:
- Severe famine
- Incurable disease
-Great disability
- Old age or when a person is nearing his end.
Jainism is truly one of the World’s most peaceful religions, but the lesson to be learned is that a religion can be peaceful, however in a non- peaceful World it must be prepared to defend itself or else it will fall into the same predicament as Jainism, where its people will be tormented by other peoples and religions that are not as peaceful. Sikhism appears to be a religion that has learned that lesson.
Scott Ramsey
May 1, 2016
OVERVIEW
The majority of Jains currently reside in India. With 4–6 million followers Jainism is relatively small compared to major world religions.From the Buddhist and Jain records, it is clear that Jainism is older than Buddhism and was firmly established at the time of the origin of Buddhism. Famous for its promotion of nonviolence and often paired with Buddhism as one of ancient India's two greatest dissenting religions, its adherents are prominent in business, and some of modern India's wealthiest and most powerful families are Jains. The mendicants are a source of teaching and blessings for the laity, who in turn supply them with food and other forms of support.
Jain history can be viewed as a cycle. A period of rising called an Utsarpini in which human and natural conditions improve followed by a period of decline or Avasarpini in which things gradually get worse, weaken and corrupt. During the period of decline twenty-four persons are born who are unlike others of their time. When they see the suffering and misery in the world they renounce it and lead a path to perfection. They are called Crossing Makers or Tirthankaras and are born for the improvement of all living things. Their job as Jinas or Conquerors is to teach people how to follow the noble path of the Three Jewels or Triranta --right faith, right conduct and right knowledge." Jains do not believe in god but rather use the Tirthankaras as guides for their daily lives.
From the beginning, Jainism has been based on the concept of non-violence or ahimsa. Jains believe that every living thing, no matter how small, has a soul and should not be harmed. This is why Jains are strict vegetarians. This is also why you might see a very devout Jain sweeping the ground in front of him to avoid stepping on insects and wearing a mask of fabric over his/her mouth to avoid swallowing them.
Outside of India, large Jain communities can be found in the United States and Europe. The Jain population in USA is estimated to be about 10,000 to 200,000. Several Jain temples have been built in both of these places. Smaller Jain communities also exist in and Canada.
Jains developed a system of philosophy and ethics that had a great impact on Indian culture.
Historians place the earliest evidence of Jainism in the 9th century BC. Jainism is traditionally known as Jain dharma, is an ancient Indian religion. The origins of Jainism are obscure. Jainism is a philosophy of eternity, and Jains believe their religion to be eternal. There is truth in the Jaina idea that their religion goes back to a remote antiquity, the antiquity in question being that of the pre-Aryan so called Dravidian period.
It prescribes the path of ahiṃsā (non-violence) towards all living beings. Jains believe that a human being who has conquered all inner passions comes to possess omniscience; such a person is called a Jina (conqueror). The path practiced and preached by Jinas is Jainism, and the followers of the path are called Jains. Jain philosophy distinguishes the soul (consciousness) from the body (matter). Jains believe that all living beings are really soul, intrinsically perfect and immortal.
Souls in transmigration (that is, still undergoing repeated births and deaths) are said to be imprisoned in the body. Ahiṃsā (non-violence) and self-control are said to be the means to liberation. The liberated souls free from saṃsāra (transmigration) are worshiped as God. Ahiṃsā (non-violence) and Anekantavada (non-absolutism or multiplicity of viewpoints) are the major teachings of Jainism.
The very first aphorism of the Jain text Tattvartha sutra is: "Right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct (together) constitute the path to liberation”. Remnants of ancient Jain temples and cave temples can be found all around India.
A Jain prayer : "May I always have a friendly feeling towards all living beings of the world and may the stream of compassion always flow from my heart towards distressed and afflicted living beings."
Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by Jainism, adopting the Jain principles of asceticism, compassion for all forms of life, the importance of vows for self-discipline, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance among people of different creeds Mahatma Gandhi said:
No religion in the World has explained the principle of Ahimsa so deeply and systematically as is discussed with its applicability in every human life in Jainism. As and when the benevolent principle of Ahimsa or non-violence will be ascribed for practice by the people of the world to achieve their end of life in this world and beyond. Jainism is sure to have the uppermost status and Lord Mahāvīra is sure to be respected as the greatest authority on Ahimsa.
— Mahatma Gandhi
CENTRAL ORGANIZATION
In Jainism, monasticism is encouraged and respected. Monks and nuns live extremely austere and ascetic lifestyles. They follow the five main vows strictly and observe complete abstinence. Jain monks and nuns have neither a permanent home nor any possessions. They do not use vehicles and always travel barefoot from one place to another, irrespective of the distance. They wander from place to place except during the months of Chaturmas. They do not prepare food and live only on what people offer them.
Digambara monks and nuns carry a broom-like object, called a picchi (made from fallen peacock feathers) to sweep the ground ahead of them or before sitting down to avoid inadvertently crushing small insects. Svetambara monks carry a rayoharan (a broom-like object made from dense, thick thread strands). Jain monks have to follow six duties known as avashyakas: sāmāyika (practising serenity), chaturvimshati (praising the tirthankara), vandan (respecting teachers and monks), pratikramana (introspection), kayotsarga (stillness), and pratyakhyana (renunciation).
The monks of Jainism, whose presence is not needed for most Jain rituals, should not be confused with priests. However, some sects of Jainism often employ a pujari, who need not be a Jain, to perform special daily rituals and other priestly duties at the temple.
Jain communities are divided between a majority of lay men and women and a much smaller mendicant elite of peripatetic monks and nuns. The mendicants are a source of teaching and blessings for the laity, who in turn supply them with food and other forms of support. A disagreement over monastic discipline underlies the division between Jainism's two main sects: the Shvetambaras (white-clad), whose monks and nuns wear white garments, and the Digambaras (space-clad), whose monks wear no clothing.
Meditation
Jains practise a type of meditation called Sāmāyika, a vow of periodic concentration. It is one of the essential duties to be performed by the householder and the ascetics. The preposition sam means one state of being. To become one is samaya. That, which has oneness as its object, is sāmāyikam.Sāmāyika is aimed at developing equanimity and to refrain from injury. The goal of sāmāyika is to achieve a feeling of perfect calmness and to understand the unchanging truth of the self. Such meditation is based on contemplation of the universe and the reincarnation of self.
Sāmāyika is particularly important during the Paryushana religious festival. It is believed that meditation will assist in managing and balancing one's passions. Great emphasis is placed on the internal control of thoughts since they influence behavior, actions and goal.
CREATIONIST BELIEF
Jain texts reject the idea of a creator or destroyer God and postulate an eternal universe.
Jain texts propound that the universe was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. It is independent and self-sufficient, and does not require any superior power to govern it. Elaborate descriptions of the shape and function of the physical and metaphysical universe, and its constituents, are provided in the canonical Jain texts, in commentaries and in the writings of the Jain philosopher-monks.
According to the Jain texts, the universe is divided into three parts, the upper, middle, and lower worlds, called respectively urdhva loka, madhya loka, and adho loka. It is made up of six constituents: Jīva, the living entity; Pudgala, matter; Dharma tattva, the substance responsible for motion; Adharma tattva, the substance responsible for rest; Akāśa, space; and Kāla, time.
Division of time as envisaged by Jains. Kāla (time) is without beginning and eternal; the cosmic wheel of time, called kālachakra, rotates ceaselessly. According to Jain texts, in this part of the universe, there is rise and fall during the six periods of the two aeons of regeneration and degeneration. Thus, the worldly cycle of time is divided into two parts or half-cycles, ascending (utsarpiṇī) and descending (avasarpiṇī). Utsarpiṇī is a period of progressive prosperity, where happiness increases, while avasarpiṇī is a period of increasing sorrow and immorality.
According to Jain cosmology, currently we are in the 5th era of avasarpiṇī (half time cycle of degeneration). As of 2016, exactly 2,538 years have elapsed, and 18,460 years are still left. The present age is one of sorrow and misery. In this era, though religion is practiced in lax and diluted form, no liberation is possible. At the end of this era, even the Jain religion will disappear, only to appear again with the advent of the first Tīrthankara after the 42,000 years of next utsarpiṇī are over.
VISION OF GOD
Jains are polytheists and pantheists as they believe that every living being has a potential to become God - they believe in reincarnation and seek moksha, once a soul is liberated it is worthy of being labelled a God. However, Jains reject the notion of a creator and do not believe that any external Being can help the soul. This notion has led some to consider Jains as atheists.
The Jains believe in rebirth of the soul. That means they believe that when a living being dies the soul is born in another body. Eventually Jains hope to break free of the cycle of birth and rebirth and gain salvation. By leading a good life, Jains believe they will have a better rebirth and move closer to salvation. The code of conduct for leading a good life is truthfulness, not stealing, not being possessive, non-violence, and chastity.
DENOMINATIONS
A disagreement over monastic discipline underlies the division between Jainism's two main sects: the Shvetambaras (white-clad), whose monks and nuns wear white garments, and the Digambaras (space-clad), whose monks wear no clothing.
RELIGIOUS TEXTS
All Jains believe that their most ancient scriptures, known as the Purvas, have been lost, and that existing texts represent only a remnant of Mahavira's actual teachings.
The Shvetambara canon, usually said to consist of forty-five texts, probably assumed its present form in the fifth century c.e. Its most important texts are the twelve Angas (or limbs, one of which has been lost) and twelve Upangas (subsidiary limbs); they deal with a vast range of subjects, including doctrine, monastic discipline, duties of the laity, cosmography, and much else. The Digambaras reject the Shvetambara canon as inauthentic. Their most important texts, each containing material on the soul and the nature of its bondage, are two: the Shatkhandagam (Scripture in Six Parts), dating from the second century c.e., and a slightly later work entitled Kasayaprabhata (Treatise on the Passions).
Some of the most famous Jain texts include Samayasara, Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra, and Niyamasara.
In the beginning of the mediaeval period, between the 9th and 13th centuries, Kannada authors were predominantly Jains and Lingayatis. Jains were the earliest known cultivators of Kannada literature, which they dominated until the 12th century. Jains wrote about the tirthankaras and other aspects of the faith. Adikavi Pampa is one of the greatest Kannada poets.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
According to Jainism, there are six simple substances in existence, namely, Soul, Matter, Time, Space, Dharma and Adharma. Jain philosophers distinguish a substance from a body (or thing) by declaring the former to be a simple element or reality and the latter a compound of one or more substances or atoms. They claim that there can be a partial or total destruction of a body or thing, but no substance can ever be destroyed.
The soul-substance, called Jīva in Jainism, is distinguished from the remaining five substances (Matter, Time, Space, Dharma and Adharma), collectively called ajīva, by the intelligence with which the soul-substance is endowed, an intelligence not found in the other substances.The nature of the soul-substance is said to be freedom. In its modifications, it is said to be the subject of knowledge and enjoyment, or suffering, in varying degrees, according to its circumstances.Jain texts expound that all living beings are really soul, intrinsically perfect and immortal. Souls in transmigration are said to be embodied in the body as if in a prison.
Substance is the sub-strate of qualities which cannot exist apart from it, for instance, the quality of fluidity, moisture, and the like only exist in water and cannot be conceived separately from it. It is neither possible to create nor to destroy a substance, which means that there never was a time when the existing substances were not, nor shall they ever cease to be.
The main teachings of Jainism include Ahiṃsā, Anekantavada, and Parasparopagraho Jivanam with ahiṃsā being the first and foremost.
1.Ahiṃsā,
Jain votaries are required to observe five fundamental vows with Ahimsa (not to injure any living being) being the first and foremost. Thus, Jains practice include strict vegetarianism and asceticism. Parasparopagraho Jivanam ("The function of souls is to help one another.") is the motto of Jainism.
2. Anekantavada
The second main principle of Jainism is anekāntavāda (non-absolutism which means maintaining open-mindedness. This includes the recognition of all perspectives and a humble respect for differences in beliefs. Jainism encourages its adherents to consider the views and beliefs of their rivals and opposing parties. The principle of anekāntavāda influenced Mahatma Gandhi to adopt principles of religious tolerance and ahiṃsā. Anekāntavāda is more formally stated by observing that objects are infinite in their qualities and modes of existence, so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. Accordingly, no single, specific human view can claim to represent absolute truth.
3. Aparigraha
Jains believe that all living beings are really soul, intrinsically perfect and immortal. Souls in transmigration (that is, still undergoing repeated births and deaths) are said to be imprisoned in the body. Ahiṃsā (non-violence) and self-control are said to be the means to liberation. The liberated souls free from saṃsāra (transmigration) are worshiped as God. Ahiṃsā (non-violence) and Anekantavada (non-absolutism or multiplicity of viewpoints) are the major teachings of Jainism.
General Beliefs
Matter (Pudgala) is considered a non-intelligent substance consisting of an infinity of particles or atoms which are eternal. These atoms are said to possess sensible qualities, namely, taste, smell, color and, in certain forms, touch and sound.
Time is said to be the cause of continuity and succession.
Space is divided by the Jainas into two parts, namely, the lokākāśa, that is the space occupied by the universe, and the alokākāśa, the portion beyond the universe. The lokākāśa is the portion in which are to be found the remaining five substances, i.e., souls, Matter, Time, Dharma and Adharma; but the alokākāśa is the region of pure space containing no other substance and lying stretched on all sides beyond bounds of the three worlds (the entire universe).
Jain philosophy is based on seven fundamentals which are known as tattva, which attempt to explain the nature of karmas and provide solutions for the ultimate goal of liberation of the soul (moksha): These are:
Jīva – the soul, which is characterized by consciousness
Ajīva – non-living entities that consist of matter, space and time
Āsrava (influx) – the inflow of auspicious and evil karmic matter into the soul
Bandha (bondage) – mutual intermingling of the soul and karmas. The karma masks the jiva and restricts it from reaching its true potential of perfect knowledge and perception.
Saṃvara (stoppage) – obstruction of the inflow of karmic matter into the soul
Nirjarā (gradual dissociation) – the separation or falling off of part of karmic matter from the soul
Moksha (liberation) – complete annihilation of all karmic matter (bound with any particular soul)
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
In Jainism, the purpose of prayer is to break the barriers of worldly attachments and desires and to assist in the liberation of the soul. Jains do not pray for any favors, material goods or rewards.
Therefore, Jains extend the practice of nonviolence not only towards other humans but towards all living beings. For this reason, vegetarianism is a hallmark of Jain identity, with the majority of Jains practicing lacto vegetarianism. If there is violence against animals during the production of dairy products, veganism is encouraged.
After nonviolence towards humans, animals and insects, Jains make efforts not to injure plants any more than necessary. Although they admit that plants must be destroyed for the sake of food, they accept such violence only as much as it is indispensable for human survival. Strict Jains, including monastics, do not eat root vegetables such as potatoes, onions and garlic because tiny organisms are injured when the plant is pulled up and because a bulb or tuber's ability to sprout is seen as characteristic of a living being.
Jainism has a very elaborate framework on types of life and includes life-forms that may be invisible. Jains believe that the intent and emotions behind an act of violence are more important than the action itself. For example, if a person kills another living being out of carelessness and then later regrets the act, the bondage (bandha) of karma is less compared to when a person kills the same kind of living being with anger, revenge, etc. A soldier acting in self-defense is a different type of violence from someone killing another person out of hatred or revenge. Violence or war in self-defense may be justified, but this must only be used as a last resort after peaceful measures have been thoroughly exhausted.
The Swastika is an important Jain symbol. The four arms of the swastika symbolize the four states of existence according to Jainism.
Heavenly being (devas)
Human being
Hellish being
Tiryancha (subhuman like flora or fauna).
HOLIDAYS
Major festivals include Paryushana, Mahavir Jayanti and Diwali.
Paryushana or Daslakshana is the most important annual event for Jains, and is usually celebrated in August or September.It lasts 8–10 days and is a time when lay people increase their level of spiritual intensity often using fasting and prayer/meditation to help. The five main vows are emphasized during this time. The last day involves a focused prayer/meditation session known as Samvatsari Pratikramana.
At the conclusion of the festival, followers request forgiveness from others for any offenses committed during the last year. Forgiveness is asked by saying Micchami Dukkadam to others, which means, "If I have caused you offence in any way, knowingly or unknowingly, in thought, word or action, then I seek your forgiveness." The literal meaning of Paryushana is "abiding" or "coming together".
Mahavir Jayanti, the birth of Mahāvīra, the last tirthankara of this era, is usually celebrated in late March or early April based on the lunar calendar.
Diwali is a festival that marks the anniversary of Mahāvīra's attainment of moksha. Gautama Swami, the chief disciple of Lord Mahāvīra, attained omniscience (Keval Jñāna) later the same day (kartika-amavasya).
Some other festivals celebrated by Jains are Akshaya Tritiya and Raksha Bandhan.
PILGRIMAGES
Jain pilgrim sites include:
Siddhakshetra – Site of the moksha of an arihant (kevalin) or Tirthankara, such as Mount Kailash, Shikharji, Girnar, Pawapuri and Champapuri (capital of Anga).
Atishayakshetra – Locations where divine events have occurred, such as Mahavirji, Rishabhdeo, Kundalpur, Tijara Jain Temple, Aharji.
Puranakshetra – Places associated with lives of great men, such as Ayodhya, Vidisha, Hastinapur, and Rajgir.
Gyanakshetra – Places associated with famous acharyas, or centers of learning, such as Shravanabelagola.
HEAVEN AND HELL
According to Jain cosmology, the universe and everything in it is eternal. Nothing that exists now was ever created, nor will it be destroyed. The universe consists of three realms: the heavens, the earth and the hells.
Jains believe that the cosmos contains an infinite number of immaterial and indestructible souls (jivas ). In common with other Indic traditions, the Jains also believe that each soul is reborn after death, and that the type of body it inhabits depends on the moral character of its deeds in past lives. According to Jainism, souls exist in every cranny of the cosmos: they inhabit the bodies of deities, humans, the inhabitants of hell, and plants and animals, and are also present in earth, water, fire, and air. Because the cosmos was never created, each soul has been wandering from one embodied state to another from beginning less time, and will continue to do so for infinite time to come unless it achieves liberation.
The cause of the soul's bondage is karma (action), which in other Indic religious traditions refers to the process by which one's good or bad acts give rise to consequences to be experienced in one's present or subsequent lives. The Jains, however, maintain that karma is an actual material substance (often likened to a kind of dust) that pervades the cosmos; it adheres to the soul, and the encumbrance of accumulated karmic matter is responsible for the soul's continuing rebirth. Karmic matter is drawn toward the soul by volitional actions, and its adhesion to the soul is a consequence of the emotional state of the actor. The passions, especially those of desire and aversion, create a moisture-like stickiness that causes karmic matter to build up on the soul.
To achieve liberation, therefore, one must avoid attracting more karmic matter and shed one's already existing accumulations. This is a complex and arduous process that begins with the awakening of faith in Jain teachings and ends with the removal of the last vestiges of the soul's burden of karmic matter. The liberated soul then rises to the abode of liberated souls at the top of the cosmos, where it will exist for all of endless time to come in a condition of omniscient bliss.
Avoiding violence is essential to one's progress toward liberation. Because violent actions are associated with the passions that contribute to the influx and adhesion of karmic matter, Jains are strongly committed to nonviolence (ahimsa ). At a minimum, Jains should be vegetarian. Observant Jains avoid even vegetarian foods deemed to involve excessive violence in their acquisition or preparation. Root vegetables such as potatoes are proscribed because they are believed to contain multiple souls. Such restrictions are most onerous for monks and nuns who are debarred from activities that run the risk of harming even the humblest and most microscopic of living things. Lay Jains have been attracted to business precisely because buying, selling, and banking are activities that do not involve physical violence.
Ascetic practice is also essential to the attainment of liberation. Often likened to a fire that burns away karmic matter, ascetic practice subdues harmful passions that bring about the influx and adhesion of karmic matter and removes already existing karmic accumulations. Jain mendicants are renowned for the severity of their asceticism, and even lay Jains are expected to engage in periodic fasts and other ascetic practices.
According to Jain belief, souls, intrinsically pure, possess the qualities of infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss, and infinite energy in their ideal state. In reality, however, these qualities are found to be obstructed due to the soul's association with karmic matter. The ultimate goal in Jainism is the realization of reality.
The relationship between the soul and karma is explained by the analogy of gold. Gold is always found mixed with impurities in its natural state. Similarly, the ideal pure state of the soul is always mixed with the impurities of karma. Just like gold, purification of the soul may be achieved if the proper methods of refining are applied. The Jain karmic theory is used to attach responsibility to individual action and is cited to explain inequalities, suffering and pain. Tirthankara-nama-karma is a special type of karma, bondage of which raises a soul to the supreme status of a tirthankara.
In Jain philosophy, the fourteen stages through which a soul must pass in order to attain liberation (moksha) are called Gunasthāna. These are:
1. Mithyātva Gross ignorance. The stage of wrong believer
2. Sasādana -Vanishing faith, i.e., the condition of the mind while actually falling down from the fourth stage to the first stage.
3. Mishradrshti- Mixed faith and false belief.
4. Avirata samyagdrshti- Right Faith unaccompanied by Right Conduct.
5. Deśavirata -The stage of partial self-control (Śrāvaka)
6. Pramatta Sanyati –First step of life as a Jain muni (monk).The stage of complete self-discipline, although sometimes brought into wavering through negligence.
7. Apramatta Sanyati -Complete observance of Mahavratas (Major Vows)
8. Apūrvakaraņa -New channels of thought.
9. Anivāttibādara-sāmparāya -Advanced thought-activity
10. Sukshma sāmparāya -Slight greed left to be controlled or destroyed.
11. Upaśānta-kasāya -The passions are still associated with the soul, but they are temporarily out of effect on the soul.
12. Ksīna kasāya -Desirelessness, i.e., complete eradication of greed
13. Sayoga kevali (Arihant) -Omniscience with vibrations. Sa means "with" and yoga refers to the three channels of activity, i.e., mind, speech and body.
14. Ayoga kevali -The stage of omniscience without any activity. This stage is followed by the soul's destruction of the aghātiā karmas.
At the second-to-last stage, a soul destroys all inimical karmas, including the knowledge-obscuring karma which results in the manifestation of infinite knowledge (Kevala Jnana), which is said to be the true nature of every soul.
Those who pass the last stage are called siddha and become fully established in Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct. According to Jain texts, after the total destruction of karmas the released pure soul (Siddha) goes upto the summit of universe (Siddhashila) and dwells there in eternal bliss.
The soul removes its ignorance (mithyatva) at the 4th stage, vowlessness (avirati) at the 6th stage, passions (kashaya) at the 12th stage, and yoga (activities of body, mind and speech) at the 14th stage, and thus attains liberation.
SOCIAL ORDER
Jain communities are divided between a majority of lay men and women and a much smaller mendicant elite of peripatetic monks and nuns. Jains encourage their monastics to do research and obtain higher education. Monks and nuns, particularly in Rajasthan, have published numerous research monographs.
Ordinary lay persons are householders. When householders decide to undertake the renounced life, they first must live with monks or nuns for a time being. If, after learning more about religion and observing the renounced life, they still wish to undertake it, they take the five vows and become a sadhu or a sadhvi. In addition to keeping these vows carefully, Jain monks and nuns observe other special practices that set them apart.
According to the 2001 Indian census, Jains have the highest degree of literacy of any religious community in India (94.1 percent) and their manuscript libraries are the oldest in the country. Jain libraries, including those at Patan and Jaisalmer, have a large number of well-preserved manuscripts.
There are five levels on the path of human development:
-Sadhus (monks) and sadhvis (nuns)
-Upadhyayas (teachers of the scriptures and philosophy)
-Acharyas (leaders of the monastic community) - Arihantas (liberated souls that have attained salvation; both Ordinary and Tirthankar and have achieved divinity. They can help others until death when they become siddhas)
- Siddhas (liberated souls who reside in the highest level of heaven. They have no form and are detached from the earth)
INITIATION
To take initiation Diksa means to follow the strict path to liberation, through the total renunciation of the worldly attachments and complete devotion to the Guru, spiritual guide.
Thus, practically initiations inner acceptance of the discipline of the Gurufor spiritual upbringing. When one gets initiated into the nun or monk hood, one takes five major vows and act strictly in accordance with those vows .
The vows are:
Nonviolence, truthfulness, non -stealing, celibacy, and non-attachment.
The monks and nuns are also strict vegetarians and do not eat before sunrise or after sunset.
PURPOSE OF LIFE
For Jains, the purpose of life is to attain Moksa, or release, from the cycle of rebirth.
The ultimate goal of life, in Jainism, is liberation from the karmic bondage to attain eternal peace, bliss and wisdom.
Jainism firmly believes that divinity is within us. Each human being is essentially or potentially divine.
To unfold the divinity we need to remove the karmic dust accumulated by our own actions. The path to liberate from the dust is threefold —right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.
CONCLUSION
Once a major religion, Jainism declined due to a number of factors, including proselytizing by other religious groups, persecution, withdrawal of royal patronage, sectarian fragmentation and the absence of central leadership. Jainism has faced rivalry with Buddhism and the various Hindu sects. The Jains suffered isolated violent persecutions by these groups, but the main factor responsible for the decline of their religion was the success of Hindu reformist movements. The influence of Jainism can clearly be seen on Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism.
The decline of Jainism continued after the Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent. The Muslims rulers further oppressed the Jain community. They vandalized idols and destroyed temples or converted them into mosques. They also burned the Jain books and killed Jains. Some conversions were peaceful, however.
The Jains enjoyed amicable relations with the rulers of the tributary Hindu kingdoms during this period; however, their number and influence had diminished significantly due to their rivalry with the Shaivite and Vaisnavite sects.
Like all religions, Jainism is criticized and praised for some of its practices and beliefs. The Sallekhana (or Santhara), a vow observed by pious Jains, is a particular area of controversy. In this vow a votary voluntarily decides to gradually reduce food intake under some conditions. These condition are:
- Severe famine
- Incurable disease
-Great disability
- Old age or when a person is nearing his end.
Jainism is truly one of the World’s most peaceful religions, but the lesson to be learned is that a religion can be peaceful, however in a non- peaceful World it must be prepared to defend itself or else it will fall into the same predicament as Jainism, where its people will be tormented by other peoples and religions that are not as peaceful. Sikhism appears to be a religion that has learned that lesson.
Scott Ramsey
May 1, 2016