Jain Philosophy - Mini Overview 

 

 

What is Jainism -  Jainism is a religion and a way of live.  For thousands of years, Jains have been practicing vegetarianism, yoga, meditation, and environmentalism. Jains believe in the existence of Soul – in each living being – which is eternal and divine.  Our purpose in life is to “know ourselves”  and that happiness and knowledge exist in me.  Jain philosophy has three core practices (essence of Jainism): Non-Violence, Non-Absolutism, and Non-Possessiveness.

   

    Non-Violence (Ahimsa) is compassion and forgiveness in thoughts, words, and deeds towards all living beings.  For this reason, Jains are vegetarians.

    Non- Absolutism (Anekantvad) or Non-one-Sidedness is respect for and seeking others’ views. Jains encourage dialogue and harmony with other faiths.

    Non-Possessivenes (Aparigrah) s is balancing of needs and desires, while staying detached from these possessions. We are all interdependent on each other and we can bring peace to our lives and to those around us. Jains seek spiritual upliftment by practicing Non-Violence, Non-Absolutism, and Non-Possessiveness.

 

 

Who Am I?  I am a symbiosis of physical and spiritual substances.

Why am I here? I am here to realize who I am and only by managing my passions (Anger, Pride (Ego), Deceit, Greed) can I realize myself.

From where did I come? I come from the past karmic influences.

Where am I going? I am moving towards liberation.

What is the meaning of time?  

Jainism assumes that the universe, with all its components, is without a beginning or an end, being everlasting and eternal.  The wheel of time incessantly revolves like a pendulum.  In the first half circle from the descending to the ascending stage where human prosperity, happiness, and life span increases and in the second half circle from the ascending stage to the descending stage where prosperity, happiness, and life span decreases.

 

What is Soul and Karma? 

Soul is the living - sentient essence.  Mahavir explained that from eternity, every living being (soul) due to its ignorance is in bondage of karmic atoms known as karma. These karma are continuously accumulated by our actions of body, mind and speech. Under the influence of karma, the soul is habituated to seek pleasures in materialistic belongings and possessions.  This is the deep-rooted cause of self-centered violent thoughts, deeds, anger, hatred, greed, and such other vices. Which results in further accumulation of karma.  The doctrine of karma occupies a significant position in the Jaina philosophy. It provides a rational and satisfying explanation to the apparently inexplicable phenomena of birth and death, happiness and misery, inequalities in mental and physical attainments, and of the existence of different species of living beings.  It explains that the principle governing the successions of life is karma.  Our actions of body, mind, and speech bind us.

 

How do I achieve liberation from the cycle of life and death?

One can get rid of karma and attain liberation by simultaneously following the path of right faith (samyak-darshana), right knowledge (samyak-jnana), and right conduct (samyak-charitra). The proper knowledge of the six universal substances (six Dravya) and the nine fundamental truths (nine Tattva) is called right knowledge and true faith in that knowledge is called right faith. The right conduct includes nonviolence, self-purification, compassion, penance, austerity, and meditation.

 

 

The Six Universal Substances are:

Soul or Consciousness - Jiva - Living substance

Matter - Pudgala - Nonliving substance

Medium of motion - Dharma - Nonliving substance

Medium of rest   - Adharma - Nonliving substance

Space - Akasa - Nonliving substance

Time - Kal or Samay - Nonliving substance

 

The Nine Tattvas (Principles) are:

Jiva - Soul or living being (Consciousness)

Ajiva - Non-living substances

Asrava - Cause of the influx of karma

Bandha - Bondage of karma

Punya - Virtue

Papa - Sin

Samvara - Stoppage or arrest of the influx of karma

Nirjara - Exhaustion of the accumulated karma

Moksha - Total liberation from karma

Jainism strives for the realization of the highest perfection of man, which in its original purity is free from all pain, suffering, and the bondage of birth and death.

 

Karma Classification:

Ghati Karmas (removal of these are needed to attain Omniscience - Keval Gyan) - View/Faith Deluding, Obstructing, Perception/Intuition Covering, Knowledge Covering

Aghati Karmas ( removal of these are needed to attain Liberation) - Life Span, Body, Status, Feeling Producing.

 

Doors of Inflow of Karmas:

4 types of Passions (Anger, Pride (Ego), Deceit, Greed)

5 types of Senses (Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, Hearing)

5 types Indulgences (Causing Injury, Lying, Stealing, Incontinence, Possessiveness)

 

Ethical Code:

The supreme ideal of the Jain religion is nonviolence (Ahimsa), equal kindness, and reverence for all forms of life in speech, thought, and action.  Above all it is a religion of love and compassion to all living beings. At the heart of right conduct for Jains lie the five great vows:

 

Nonviolence (Ahimsa)   - Not to cause harm to any living beings

Truthfulness (Satya) - To speak the harmless truth only

Non-stealing (Asteya) - Not to take anything not properly given

Chastity (Brahmacharya) - Not to indulge in sensual pleasure

Non-possession/ Non-attachment (Aparigraha) - Complete  detachment from people, places, and material things

These vows can not be fully implemented without the acceptance of a philosophy of non-absolutism (Anekantvad) and the theory of relativity (Syadvad).  Monks and nuns follow these vows strictly and totally, while the common people follow the vows as far as their life styles will permit.

 

Twelve Vows of Layman - Five Main Vows of Limited Nature (Anuvratas): Ahimsa, Satya, Achaurya (non-stealing), Bhramcharaya (Chastity), Aparigraha (non-attachment);

Three Merit Vows (Guna-vrats): Dik Vrata - Limited area of activity vow; Bhoga-Upbhoga Vrata - Limited use of consumable and non-consumable items vow; Anartha-danda Vrata - Avoidance of purposeless sins vow

Four Disciplinary Vows (Siksha-vratas)limited duration:Samayik Vrata-Meditation;Activity;Ascetic's life; Limited charity

 

Ten Virtues (Das Lakshan Dharma) - Uttam Kshama – supreme forbearance; Uttam Mardava – supreme gentleness; Uttam Arjava - supreme uprightness; Uttam Shaucha - supreme purity; Uttam Satya - supreme truth; Uttam Sanyam - supreme restraint; Uttam Tapa - supreme austerity; Uttam Tyaga - supreme renunciation; Uttam Akinchanya - supreme lack of possession; Uttam Brahmcharya - supreme chastity

 

Six Avshashaks (Essentials) - Samayik - a state of total equanimity; Chauvisantho – prayers to the Five supremes, 24 Jinas, and 4 mangalas; Vandana - offering salutations to sadhus (monks) and sadhvis (nuns); Pratikraman - realizing what we have done wrong and annotating on it; Kayotsarga - meditation of the soul; Pratyakhyan - renunciation.

 

14 Gunsthanas -  These are the 14 stages a person must pass through to achieve liberation.    (lowest stage) Mithyatva Gunasthanak - stage of false beliefs with intense raag and dwesh; Saswadan - the stage of having tasted the righteousness; Samyak-Mithyadrashti - stage of fluctuation between the false & right belief; Avirati-samyakdrashti - the stage of the right belief but no renunciation; Deshvirti - the stage of the right belief with the partial renunciation; Sarvavirti or Pramatta samyati - the stage of the total renunciation; Apramatt samyati - the stage of the total renunciation and no carelessness; Nivritti-Badar - the stage of an extraordinary efforts; Anivritti-Badar - the stage of almost passionless state; Sukshma samparay - the stage of the subtle greed; Upashant Kashaya - the stage of the passionless state by the suppression; Kshina Kashay - the passionless stage; Sayogi kevali - the stage of the omniscient with activities; *(lHighest) Ayogi kevali - the stage of the omniscient without activities.

 

12 Bhavanas: Anitya - Impermanence of the world – Alone; Asarana - Birth is inevitably followed by death, helpless in face of death. ; Samsara - Worldy life is an ocean of illusion. No permanent relationship; Ekatva - Aloneness. There is absolute solitude of each soul; Anyatva - Separateness - Try to know the inner-self to attain “Pure-Self".

Asuci - Impureness of the body; Asrava - Inflow of Karmic Fusion; Samavara - Karmic shield is anti-dote to Asrava, stops influx of karma; Nirjara - to discard- to separate- liberate, Shedding of Karma from soul; Lokasvarupa - To reflect about the Universe; Bodhi Durlabha - Unattainability of right faith, knowledge, and conduct; Dharma-Swakhyat - Teachings of the  Thirthankara -Arihant.

  

Parasparopagraho Jivanam

Souls influence each other through service which  may be favorable or unfavorable

They cannot live independently of one another

They must bear the karmic results individually..

They create a common environment and live together in wealth and woe

 

Five Samitis: (Conduct)

Iriya Samiti - regulation of walking. Bhasa Samiti - regulation of speaking. Avoid the eight faults of speech during conversation (anger, pride, deceit, greed, laughter, fear, gossip, and slander). Always use sinless and concise speech.

Esnna Samiti - regulation of begging. Monks should search and obtain pure foods; Adana Nikshepana Samiti - regulation of taking or keeping. One should lay down or take up an article of use very carefully so as not to endanger the life of small creatures and insects. Utsarga Samiti - regulation of disposal of waste properly

  

Three Guptis: Mana Gupti - regulation of mind. One should guard one's mind from impure thoughts such as anger, hate, curse, greed, jealous, ego, etc. Always be forgiving and devote the mind to pious meditation.

Vachana Gupti - regulation of speech. One should guard his speech so that it might not utter harmful, harsh, careless, foul, senseless, embarrassing, or bad language.

Kaya Gupti - regulation of bodily activity. One should guard movement of his body, so as not to hurt others, walking with an eye on the path so as not to harm, or kill an innocent life such as ants, bugs, etc. One should not day dream while doing any activity. Develop decent behavior and manners.

 

 

Source: Pravin Shah