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Jainism

Jainism does not have a creator god that rules over the universe. Jainas realize the divinity in the human soul, and seek to attain the soul’s perfection and godhood.


The macro-universe is vast, eternal, beginningless, and endless. It consists of universe/existence and non-universe/non-existence.

It is made of the six substances: medium of motion, medium of non-motion, space, time, matter, and soul.


The nine principals are soul, non-soul, influx of karmas, bondage of soul, virtue, sin, stopping of influx of karmas, dissociation of already acquired karmas, and liberation.

Being is not persistent, unchangeable, or endless.

Reality is both permanent and changeable.

There is growth, development, and destruction.


The ultimate aim of human life is the soul’s purification/liberation/perfection. This can only be attained through an individual’s own efforts, and the path to it consists of three components that should be simultaneously pursued: right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct.

One should be detached from world materialistic things.


Have appropriate regard for the body as it is the means to achieve liberation; but do not be/feel attached to the body.

Follow the true Jina dharma that leads to liberation, and avoid credulous and superstitious beliefs, faith in and prayer to gods or goddesses credited with divine and destructive powers in order to seek favors, and falsely religious practices such as bathing in certain rivers or walking on fire.


Have high regard for, raise, and respect the piousness and virtues of others.


Be steadfast in your conviction.


Help others in the path to liberation.


Illustrate Jaina teachings in your conduct.


Pride disturbs mental equilibrium, and causes beclouding. The mind must be freed from pride, such as pride in learning, worship, family, status through birth or connections, wealth, achievements, religious austerities, bodily beauty, or personality.


Right knowledge is knowledge that reveals the actual nature of things exactly as they are.


Reading should be directed towards understanding the meaning.


Study should take place regularly in quiet places at times when one is free from worry.


Cultivate humility and respect towards the scriptures and teachers.


When studying, do not jump to hasty conclusions that can lead to misunderstandings.


It is necessary to have enthusiasm for mastering a subject in order to sustain continued interest so that you continue to study.


Keep an open mind and attitude in order to prevent bias from hindering proper understanding and completeness of knowledge.


Restrain all unethical actions of mind, speech, and body.


Jainas are either ascetics who fully renounce the world and follow the Jaina teaching, or laypersons/householders who adopt a less demanding lifestyle.


Ahimsa: non-violence or non-injury. The avoidance of any acts that harm the vitalities of living beings—intentional or unintentional.


Satya: truthfulness: Words that do not harm living beings, taking care in speech, not spreading false rumors or false teachings, not breaching trust, not denying the reality of the existence and non-existence of things, not giving false information about the position, time, and nature of things.


Celibacy:


Non-attachment: not being attached to world things, avoiding greed, not desiring superfluities not necessary to ones needs, not envying others, advancing those worthy individuals your position gives you power to advance


Samvara: prevent karmic influx, through 3 guptis, 5 samati, dharma 10 virtues, 12 reflections, 22 victories over affliction, and 5 conducts.


Guptis

Mind: achieve pure thoughts, and avoiding mental harm to your soul and other living beings

Body: regulate body activities to achieve spiritual ends

Speech: silence, limiting speaking to minimum


Samatis:

Walking, speech, eating, picking & placing, defecation and urination


Avoid four passions:

anger, pride, deception, and greed


Virtues:

forgiveness, humility, naturalness, contentment, truthfulness, self-restraint, austerity, renunciation, chastity, non-possession


Reflections on 12 themes:

Transitoriness: everything is subject to change

Non-surrender: nothing external can intervene on a being’s karmas; only one’s efforts can do so

Samsara cycle of world existence: souls move in a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and cannot attain purity until all karma are shed

Solitariness: souls are alone: each take actions and its consequences

Separateness: externals and even your body are not part of our real self.

Impurity: body is material and subject to change, so only give it attention in health maintenance to fulfill spiritual progress

Influx asrava: the influx of karma is the cause of world existence, and produced by 4 passions

Stoppage (samvara): influx of karmas should be stopped by ten virtues

Shedding nirjara: karmic matter should be shed or shaken off by austerities and penances

Universe loka: the universe is vast, and humanity is insignificant and as nothing in time and space

Rarity of spirituality: it is difficult to obtain right faith, knowledge, and conduct

Dharma: reflect on the truth nature of jina dharma expressed by the tirthankaras


Victory over affliction

Bear cheerfully the afflictions: the physical discomforts that might distract or cause pain: hunger, thirst, clod, heat, insect bites, nudity, lack of pleasure, disagreeable surroundings, sexual urges or demands by others, tiredness form physical activity, discomfort from long sitting, discomfort from sleeping or resting on hard ground, censure or insult, injury, seeking food, not getting food, disease, cuts and scratches form plants, dirt on body, being shown disrespect, lack of appreciation of their learning, persistence of their own ignorance, their own lack of faith or weak belief


Conducts:

Practice austerities and equanimity

Strive for spiritual purity

Control passions

Hold to the scriptural ideal of the jina, and if lapsing, perform penances aimed at returned to proper ascetic conduct


According to dasavaikalika sutra, the essential qualities required for an ascetic are self-control, freedom from passions, and non-attachment.

True ascetics should live as model of righteousness, without profession or occupation, as homeless mendicants.


An ascetic’s life is not for everyone.

Thus, most Jainas take a less vigorous and demanding vow, and live as laypersons/householders.

A property owners, they are required to give alms, and do so properly so as to

in a way that is appropriate to the recipient, and given in a respectful manner without making the giver feel superior or making the recipient feel embarrassed.


One must go through steps of preparation before becoming an ascetic.


People have social responsibilities, and they cannot practice the vows with an ascetic’s rigor and discipline


Jaina philosophy places a major emphasis on a principle of anekantavada—a relative pluralism that accounts for the multi-sided nature of reality.

It is necessary to take all points of view into account to completely understand the many sides that form something’s wholeness, and it is wrong dor us to conclude we know something’s entirety if we only know it from a limited amount of perspectives.

Reality is complex. It is made of substances and their qualities that are constantly changing, extends over time and space, and is both destroyed and permanent.

Ordinary humans who do not possess omniscience must depend on comprehending things from different angles, since they cannot yet possess full comprehension due to the limitations of their perceptions.


Austerities (tapas) comprise a main part of Jaina religious practice.

Austerities are divided into two categories: external austerities, such as food restrictions and voluntary bodily pain (through postures, exposure to severe weather etc.); and internal austerities, such as penance, reverence to greatness, rendering dutiful service to others, scriptural study, detachment from possessions and passions, and meditation.


If God is perfect, why are his creations imperfect?