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Jain Religion - A Brief Description
(749 total words in this text)
(2186 Reads) 
Jain Religion
(A Brief Description)
Overview
The word "Jain" is derived from the Sanskrit word for a saint "jina," which in turn is derived from the word "Jayati," meaning "he who conquers." A "Jain" is a follower of "Jinas," who have conquered all mortal karmic bondage and are considered liberated souls. Jains follow the teachings of current 24 Jinas who are commonly known as "Tirthankaras." The 24th and the most recent Tirthankar is Shri Mahavir, who lived from 599 to 527 BC according to traditional history. The 23rd Tirthankar, Shri Parsvanatha, is now recognized as a historical person, who lived during 872 to 772 BC1. The 24 Tirthankaras have also achieved ultimate salvation and are called "Sidhhas."
Jain Religion, along with Hinduism, and Buddhism, is one of the most ancient Indian religions still in existence. The Jain Religion has had a significant influence on the Indian culture for over thousands of years, making significant contributions in philosophy, art, architecture, grammar, mathematics, astronomy, astrology, and literature.
Jains believe that all living beings possess a soul, and therefore great care and awareness is required in going about one's business in the world. Jain Religion considers every living being worthy of respect and it emphasizes equality of all life, advocating the protection of even the smallest creatures, and it encourages the spiritual development through reliance on and cultivating one's own personal wisdom. The ultimate goal is to realize an individual soul's true nature.
According to Jains the Universe and its theology have no beginning and no ending. However, the universe does go through a process of ascending and descending time cycles2 and there is no concept of a creator of the universe within the Jain theology. The Jain theology differs from other religions in its concept of God. According to its belief, there is no overarching supreme divine creator, owner, preserver or destroyer. Every living soul is potentially divine and the Sidhhas, who have completely eliminated their karmic bonding, thereby ending their cycle of birth and death, have attained God-consciousness.
The main Jain prayer, the Namokar Mantra, pays homage to five special categories of souls that have attained God-consciousness or are on their way to achieving it, so as to emulate and follow their path to salvation.
Salient Points of Jain Religion
- Every living being has a soul
- Every soul is potentially divine with innate infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite power, and infinite bliss
- Regards every living being as oneself and do no harm to anyone. In other words, have benevolence for all living beings
- Every soul is the architect of its own life, here or hereafter
- When a soul is freed from its karmas3, it becomes god-conscious (infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite power, and infinite bliss) and liberated
- Right View, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct (the triple gems of Jainism) provide the way to the ultimate realization
- Non-violence (Ahimsa) is the underlying core basis of the right View, the condition of right Knowledge and the kernel of right Conduct
- Possess limited material objects and live life to be useful to self and to others. While owning an object by itself is not considered possessiveness; attachment to it is considered possessiveness.
- It is important not to waste human life in evil ways. Instead, strive to rise on the ladder of spiritual evolution.
- Each living being has to take personal responsibility for all actions taken.
The Jain religion preaches universal tolerance, and its attitude toward other religions is that of non-criticism. Jain religion is not competitive and has never forced the spread of its faith.
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1 The first Tirthankar of the current time cycle is Rushabhdev (also known as Adhinathswami) is believed to have existed prior to the Indus Valley Civilization. The Jain Swastika symbol and the naked statues resembling the Jain monks amongst the remains of the Indus Valley Civilization provide evidence for the belief.
2 The ascending time cycle is called "Utsarpini" and the descending time cycle is called "Avsarpini." Currently, we are in the Utsarpini half of the time cycle.
3 Jain scriptures provide detailed explanation and analysis of how the karmic particles (much smaller than atomic particles) affect and influence an individual soul. The scriptures provide a 14-stage development of soul on its path to ultimate shedding of all karmas and the achievement of total liberation, or "Moksha." See "Tatvartha Sutra" by Umaswami. |
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