-
Introduction
-
Mahavira
-
Teachings and Beliefs
-
Religious Organisation
-
Concept of God
[Back
to the start of this chapter]
Jainism is an
ancient Indian religion which arose as heresy or revolt against
the ritualism of Hinduism. Mahavirah is stated to be its founder.
It won adherents only in India and survived every assault directed
against it by the Brahmins. It has continued to exist till today
and its adherents are mainly found in India. Number of its
followers is not more than 10 million although some conservative
estimates place it at 6 million. Jain derives its name from
ancient prophets known as Jinas meaning “those who overcome”. Such
prophets or great masters called Tirthankaras of Jainism are 24 in
number among whom Mahavira is the last in line.
Early in the
history of the faith, the Jains divided on the question of wearing
clothes. The Shvetamharas, or “the white-clad” were the liberals,
who took their stand on wearing, at least one garment, while the
stricter and more conservative Digambaras got their name from
their insistence on going about “clad in atmosphere”. Still
another Jain sect, the Sthanakvasis, tolerates no idols and have
no temples. They worship “everywhere”, mainly through meditation
and introspection. The Jains form an almost closed circle of
believes, no longer growing in number.1
A broom and bowl
are important symbols of Jainism, and a Jain monk always carries
both with him. The broom represents the Jain belief that all life
is sacred. A monk uses it to sweep aside insects so he will not
step on them. He carries the bowl to collect food for himself.2
[Back
to the start of this chapter]
Mahavira is
believed to be the founder of Jainism. His real name was Nataputta
Vardhamana While Mahavira is his title of honour which means the
“great hero”.
He was the 24th
and last known of the line of teachers called Jains, or
“conquerors” (of the woes of existence), who are founders of the
Jain (Jaina) religion. Mahavira is believed to be a historical
person, whereas the Jinas who preceded him probably are legendary.3
Mahavira was born
in 599 B.C. at Kaundinyapura near modern Patna in the house of a
Raja who belonged to Kshatriya caste of Hindu nobility. Mahavira
married and had a daughter. At the age of 30 he formally
enunciated his princely life and became ascetic. He plucked out
his hairs and thereafter wandered naked, subjected his body to all
kinds of discomforts even tortures. In order to avoid killing he
allowed vermin to inhabit his body. He wandered for 12 long years
in the villages, forests and plains of central India in quest of
release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (the Hindu
doctrine of transmigration of soul). His two fundamental beliefs
were: that practicing ahimsa is essential for purification of
one’s own soul, and that practicing the rigorous asceticism is
essential for keeping one’s soul away from evil. At last, after a
long wandering and undergoing a severe discipline of self-torture,
he achieved enlightenment at the age of 42 while in meditation. He
thus entered into the spiritually emancipated state of ‘Kaivalya’
which means absolute aloneness. After achieving Nirvana or Moksha
(deliverance), he became a Tirthankara - title meaning
‘ford-maker’ (over the ocean of existence). Hence forth he
reorganized the Jain monastic community and started teaching and
preaching his religion.
Conversions to his
way of life followed. And, after thirty years of successful
teaching and organizing, at the age of seventy – two, he “cut
asunder the ties of birth, old age, and death,” and was “finally
liberated, freed from all pains.” He is now, according to all the
Jain sects, enjoying supreme bliss in a place of reward, called “Isatpragbhara”,
in a state no longer subject to rebirth.4
[Back
to the start of this chapter]
Jainism rejects
the authority of early Hindu Vedas and does away with many of the
Hindu deities whose place is taken by 24 Immortal saints or
Tirthankaras. It despises caste distinctions and modifies two
great Hindu doctrines of Karma and transmigration. Jain philosophy
is based on ahimsa or non-injury to living – beings. Jains believe
in sacredness of all life and refuse to kill even the smallest
insect. In their view, non-injury to any or all living creatures
is the highest religion. Vegetarianism is its corollary in diet.
The avoidance of taking life was and is so strictly adhered to by
advanced Jain ascetics that they eventually succumb from
starvation. It was perhaps in reaction to such extremes that the
Buddha, who was alleged at one time to have been a Jain monk,
advocated a less ascetic way of life.
Its code of
ethics is based on sympathy and compassion for all forms of life.
Of all the Indian religions, rather of all the world religions,
Jainism practices the most extreme form of non-violence. It
influenced the philosophy of great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi
who was a great preacher of non-violence.
Jains also
believe that every living thing consists of an eternal soul called
the Jiva and a temporary physical body. The eternal Jiva is
imprisoned in the body as a result of involvement in worldly
activities. To free the Jiva, one must avoid such activities as
much as possible. Each Jiva is reincarnated in many bodies before
it is finally freed. After being freed, it exists eternally in a
state of perfect knowledge and bliss.5
[Back
to the start of this chapter]
Jain monks and
nuns represent the ideal of Jainism. These men and women try to
separate themselves from the everyday world. They are not allowed
to kill any living creature. They carry brooms to sweep all
surfaces to avoid crushing insects accidentally. Monks may not own
any property except a broom, simple robes, bowls for food, and
walking sticks. They may not live in buildings except for brief
periods, and they must beg for all their food. The highest goal
for a monk or nun is to cease all bodily activity and die of
starvation, but this rarely happens.6
There are “Five
great vows” prescribed for monks which include: ahimsa or
non-injury to any living being; speaking truth; renunciation of
taking of anything not given; renunciation of all sexual pleasure,
and final one is the renunciation of all attachments to all things
living or non-living, small or great.
Other followers
of Jainism are the laity (people who are not monks or nuns). The
laity support the monks and nuns and obey less strict rules of
conduct. Most of the laity engage in business activities because
such occupations do not directly involve killing any living thing.
They look forward to becoming monks or nuns themselves in a future
life.7
[Back
to the start of this chapter]
Mahavira taught a
completely materialist view of reality. Soul-matter and nonliving
matter must be separated for liberation (Kaivalya) of the soul to
occur. Conquering through austerities, the “emancipated” Jina is
able to serve as a guide to monks, nuns, and laity in their
struggle for a similar absolute freedom. For the followers of
Mahavira there is no acceptance of a supreme being in its commonly
accepted meaning. “Atheism” such as this brought criticism from
the orthodox Hindus of both Mahavira’s period and of later eras.8
Although Mahavira
did not teach of any deity, yet after his demise legends raised
him to the status of a deity. Stories developed about his divine
origin and attributes. His birth was regarded as supernatural. He
descended from heaven to enter the womb of a woman. He grew up
sinless and was omniscient. However, with passage of time these
legends evaporated and Mahavira was declared to be the last among
24 prophets or great masters called Tirthankaras.
Thus we can
safely say that the Jains do not believe in any Supreme Deity or
universal God not even in any deity. They honour the 24 teachers
or Tirthankaras as holy persons but do not believe that they are
gods.
[Back
to the start of this chapter]
1,4- Islam and World Religions
2,5,6,7-
World Book Encyclopedia
3,8-
Encyclopedia Americana
[Back
to the start of this chapter] |