Jainism: Primer

Jainism: Primer DJA

Philosophy/Religion (HCMII) by Joseph Anbarasu

Sign

JAIN

SYMBOL

Adopted 1937

Out side shape: Jains description Of the shape of the Universe. A person standing with feet apart and arms rested on both hips

Swastika: Four types of birth into witch a sole can reincarnate

Stylized hand: Gesture of blessing and protection

Wheel of 24 spokes: Represents Jains inside says ahimsa the essence of Jains ethnical teachings

SYMBOLS AND IMAGES

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The outline of the symbol is defined as the universe (Lok). The raised hand means stop. The word in the center of the wheel is "Ahimsa". The four arms of the swastika remind us that during the cycles of birth and death The three dots above the swastika represent the three jewels of Jainism: Samyak Darshan (Right Faith), Samyak Jnan (Right Knowledge), and Samyak Charitra (Right Conduct). At the very top part of the Jain Universe symbol is a small curved

JAIN SYMBOL

 At

least 2500+ years old  Look at the Sithanavasal Caves, where the saints of Jains lived about 1500 years ago. It is in Tamil Nadu.  The shrines were probably enriched by the rulers Kalabhras, believed to be the latter days Muttaraiyas

Jainism

Paintings of Sithannavasal and few other rocks found in Tamil Nadu depicted Ahimsa  About 20 percent of Tamils and Kannadigas were Jains in 6th and 7th Centuries. No more today.  Naladiyars, Silappathigaram and Manimegali are jainclassical works in Tamil, telling about Jainism in South India.  Today, Followed by 3 - 4 million people mostly in North India 

Jainism in SOUTH INDIA

Life affirming but world-denying  Seeks to release the soul from the round of rebirth, to liberate spirit from matter  Ahimsa – non-violence – is the hallmark of this spiritual discipline  No creator god  Spiritual life is primarily moral rather than ritualistic 

Jainism

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24 Tirthankaras (“ford maker”): great teachers engraved in a rock in Tamil Nadu (Ginge) Going back countless thousands of years before recorded history Mahavira (“great hero”) – the 24th and final Tirthankara – reformer of ancient Jainism Nataputta Vardhamana Lived 599 - 527 BCE in northeast India ◦ 30 years as student (never married) ◦ 12 years as ascetic renunciant ◦ 30 years as spiritual teacher (tirthankara)

The founders of Jainism

Jina: (conqueror) an enlightened being who has conquered material existence and released the soul from the round of rebirth  Tirthankara: a jina who is a great spiritual teacher  Siddha: a liberated soul  The goal of Jainism: to become a Jina, thus freeing one’s soul from the material realm 

◦ we can all become “gods” but these gods do not intervene or respond to petitionary prayer

o Microscopic life-forms trapped in matter (water beings, rock beings, fire beings, air beings) This bas-relief at Kazhugumalai has three rows of Jaina Tirthankaras seated on lotus pedestals.

Jain Beliefs: Spiritual Beings

 Jiva

= life-giving spirit (soul)  Ajiva = inert/nonliving matter  All living beings contain soul and are considered Jiva (soul trapped in matter): ◦ Humans ◦ Animals ◦ Plants

Jain Beliefs: Jiva & Ajiva

Karma: impurity of the soul that keeps the soul bound to the cycle of rebirth into matter  Karma is built-up through actions in this world: thoughts, words, deeds, attitudes  Reduce and eliminate karma so as to achieve moksha (nirvana)– release of the soul from the cycles of rebirth  How are we to do this?… 

Jain Beliefs: Karma & Reincarnation

 Ahimsa:

non-violence to any and all life forms. Intent to do no harm. Strict vegans (avoid all meat and animal products, including milk, eggs, fish and even avoid root vegetables).  Aparigraha: non-attachment  Anekantwad: non-hatred  Asceticism: to live a monastic life, detached from this world and society – a life of poverty and chastity

Jain practices: Spiritual Discipline

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There was a poor man named Mangal. In the day he would cut wood and in the evening he would go to the market with the wood. After selling the wood, with the money earned he could go to the grocery to purchase some things for his house. He was satisfied with his income. One day he went to the forest to cut wood and climbed a tree at the river bank. While he was cutting the branch, his axe fell into the river. Mangal came down from the tree and jumped into the river to find his axe, but he did not find his axe. He was very sad and cried. He had no money to buy an other axe and it was difficult for him to feed his family without any money.

TRUE WOOD CUTTER

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The Goddess of the forest took pity on him and went towards him and said,"Why are you crying my son?" Mangal said, "My axe fell into the water and how shall I do my work now?" The Goddess said, "Do not weep, I will bring your axe from the river". So the Goddess jumped into the river and came out with a gold axe. She asked Mangal is this your axe? Mangal said," No this is not my axe. I am a poor man so how I can have gold axe?" The Goddess again jumped into the river and came out with a silver axe and asked him," Is this your axe?" But Mangal replied, "No this is not my axe." The Goddess jumped into the river for third time and came out with an iron axe. Now Mangal was very happy because it was his very own axe. The Goddess also became happy with Mangal truthfulness. The Goddess said," I am very happy with your honesty and because of that you can take the gold and the silver axe too. Now Mangal was not poor but rich.

TRUE WOOD CUTTER

 Digambara

clad”)

(“sky

◦ Wear no clothes ◦ Live alone or in small groups in the forests ◦ Admit only men

 Svetambara

clad”)

(“white

◦ Wear white robes ◦ Live in community ◦ Admit both men and women ◦ Some wear face masks to protect minute life forms from harm

Jain Monastics: Two major sects

 Ahimsa:

non-violence (do not harm others)  Satya: truth (do not lie)  Achaurya: nonstealing  Brahmacharya: celibacy & chastity  Aparigraha: nonattachment/nonownership (poverty

Five Monastic Vows:

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A thief stole a horse and went to the market to sell it. One customer asked the price of the horse. The thief asked him," How much will you give?" The customer said, "I can give four hundred rupees for it". The thief didn't know that the customer was also a thief. The customer thought that this horse was stolen. So he asked him that he would like to try the horse before he could buy it. He agreed to let him try. The customer took the horse and run away without paying. When people asked him for how much he sold the horse, he would say," At the same price what I got it for. "He had stolen the horse therefore it went without any price".

THIEF MEETS THIEF

Householders: marry and have children  A simple life but not ascetic (may take temporary monastic vows)  Modified vows (five plus seven more) to guide life in this world  Maintain Vegan diet  Do not expect to achieve moksha in this life (it takes full asceticism and monastic life to hope to become a Jina) 

Lay Jainism (non-monastic)

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According to Jainism there lived a hunter in the forest. Once there came a Digamber Saint. He preached the people about vegetarianism. Most people took an oath not to eat meat in their life. When he asked the hunter to leave the eating of meat, the hunter said, "Lord, the meat is our main food and we can't live without it". At the end he decided to leave eating meat. Once he became very ill. The doctor advised him to eat meat as medicine. He refused and did not take meat because of his oath. He was born in the heaven. So we should remain pure vegetarians and never eat meat.

RESULT OF VEGETARIANISM

Make pilgrimages to sacred sites (related to the lives of the Tirthankaras)  Attend temples  Revere the Tirthankaras  Observe holy days: 

◦ Mahavir Jayanti (April; commemorating the birth of Mahavira) ◦ Paryushana Parva (Aug. – Sept.; a festival of fasting and forgiveness) ◦ Mahavir Nirvan (Diwali) (Oct. – Nov.; commemorates the liberation [death] of Mahavira)

Lay Jainism: religious practices

 "If

you kill someone, it is yourself you kill.  If you overpower someone, it is yourself you overpower.  If you torment some one, it is yourself you torment.  If you harm someone, it is yourself you harm."

Bhagwan Mahavir

Thank you

 Jainworld.com: http://www.jainworld.com/  Jainism Literature Center (from Harvard

University’s “Pluralism Project”): http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~pluralsm/affiliates/j ainism/  Fundamentals of Jainism: http://www.angelfire.com/co/jainism/  Jainism4u.com: http://www.marwaris.com/jain4u.htm  Jainism Heritage Centres, “your guide to Jain heritage centres across the globe”: http://www.jainheritagecentres.com

Jainism on the Web: