Jain Schools and Branches

Jain Schools And Branches

Jain Schools And Branches This article covers Jain schools and branches. Jainism is an Indian religion which is traditionally believed to be propagated by twenty-four spiritual teachers known as tirthankara. Broadly, Jainism is divided into two major schools of thought, Digambara and Svetambara. These are further divided into different sub-sects and traditions. While...

Acharya Kalaka, clothed in white at top

Jain Monasticism

Jain Monasticism Jain monasticism refers to the order of monks and nuns in the Jain community. The term nirgrantha (“bondless”) was used for Jain monks in the past. The monastic practices of two major sects (Digambara and Śvētāmbara) vary greatly, but the major principles of both are identical. Terminology Digambaras use the word muṇi for male monastics and aryika for female monastics. Digambara monks are also...

Seven blind men and an elephant parable

Anekantavada

Anekantavada Anekāntavāda (अनेकान्तवाद, “many-sidedness”) refers to the Jain doctrine about metaphysical truths that emerged in ancient India. It states that the ultimate truth and reality is complex and has multiple aspects. Anekantavada has also been interpreted to mean non-absolutism, “intellectual Ahimsa”, religious pluralism, as well as a rejection of fanaticism...

Non-Violence Non Violence Hand Religious Religion

Dharma In Jainism

Dharma In Jainism This article covers Dharma In Jainism. Jain texts assign a wide range of meanings to the Sanskrit dharma or Prakrit dhamma. It is often translated as “religion” and as such, Jainism is called Jain Dharma by its adherents. In Jainism, the word Dharma is used to refer to the following: Religion...

Classification of the six eternal substances

Dravya

Dravya Dravya (द्रव्य) means substance or entity. According to the Jain philosophy, the universe is made up of six eternal substances: sentient beings or souls (jīva), non-sentient substance or matter (pudgala), principle of motion (dharma), the principle of rest (adharma), space (ākāśa) and time (kāla). The latter five are united as...

Aparigraha

Aparigraha

Aparigraha In Hinduism and Jainism, aparigraha (अपरिग्रह) is the virtue of non-possessiveness, non-grasping or non-greediness. Aparigrah is the opposite of parigrah, and refers to keeping the desire for possessions to what is necessary or important, depending on one’s life stage and context. The precept of aparigraha is a self-restraint (temperance) from the type of greed and avarice where one’s own...

Chart showing the classification of dravya and astikaya

Ajiva

Ajiva Ajiva is anything that has no soul or life, the polar opposite of “jīva” (soul). Because ajiva has no life, it does not accumulate karma and cannot die. Examples of ajiva include chairs, computers, paper, plastic, etc. According to Jain philosophy, Ajiva can be divided into two kinds, with form and without form. Five categories...

Torture in Hells: Panka prabha, Dhuma prabha, Tamaha prabha and Mahatamaha prabha

Causes Of Karma In Jainism

Causes Of Karma In Jainism This article covers the causes of Karma in Jainism. The karmic process in Jainism is based on seven truths or fundamental principles (tattva) of Jainism which explain the human predicament. Out of those, four—influx (āsrava), bondage (bandha), stoppage (saṃvara) and release (nirjarā)—pertain to the karmic process. Karma gets...

Depiction of Siddha Shila as per Jain cosmology which is abode of infinite Siddhas

Moksha In Jainism

Moksha In Jainism This article covers Moksha in Jainism. Sanskrit moksha or Prakrit mokkha refers to the liberation or salvation of a soul from saṃsāra, the cycle of birth and death. It is a blissful state of existence of a soul, attained after the destruction of all karmic bonds. A liberated soul is said to have attained...

Sansar Darshan

Samsara In Jainism

Samsara In Jainism This article covers Samsara in Jainism. Samsara in Jain philosophy refers to the worldly life characterized by continuous rebirths and reincarnations in various realms of existence. Saṃsāra (transmigration) is described as mundane existence, full of suffering and misery, and hence is considered undesirable and worth renunciation. The Saṃsāra is without any beginning and the soul finds itself in...

Seven tattvas

Tattva In Jainism

Tattva In Jainism This article covers Tattva in Jainism. Jain philosophy explains that seven tattva (truths or fundamental principles) constitute reality. These are: jīva– the soul which is characterized by consciousness ajīva– the non-soul āsrava (influx)- inflow of auspicious and evil karmic matter into the soul. bandha (bondage)- mutual intermingling of the soul and karmas. samvara (stoppage)- obstruction...

Lord Vishnu

Jainism And Hinduism

Jainism And Hinduism Jainism and Hinduism are two ancient Indian religions. There are some similarities and differences between the two religions. Temples, gods, rituals, fasts and other religious components of Jainism are different from those of Hinduism. “Jain” is derived from the word Jina, referring to a human being who has conquered...

Buddhist stupa worship, Sanchi

Buddhism And Jainism

Buddhism And Jainism Buddhism and Jainism are two ancient Indian religions that developed in Magadha (Bihar) and continue to thrive in the modern age. Mahavira and Gautama Buddha are generally accepted as contemporaries. Jainism and Buddhism share many features, terminology, and ethical principles, but emphasize them differently. Both are śramaṇa...

Kinds of Knowledge

Jain Epistemology

Jain Epistemology According to Jain epistemology, sense perception is the knowledge which the Jīva (soul) acquires of the environment through the intermediary of material sense organs. Jainism made its own unique contribution to this mainstream development of philosophy by occupying itself with the basic epistemological issues. According to Jains, knowledge is the...

A vegetarian thali from Rajasthan, India. Since many Indian religions promote vegetarianism, Indian cuisine offers a wide variety of vegetarian delicacies

Jain Vegetarianism

Jain Vegetarianism Jain vegetarianism is practiced by the followers of Jain culture and philosophy. It is one of the most rigorous forms of spiritually motivated diet on the Indian subcontinent and beyond. The Jain cuisine is completely vegetarian and also excludes underground vegetables such as potato, garlic, onion etc, to prevent injuring small insects...

Statue of Mahavira in meditation, Ahinsa Sthal, Mehrauli, New Delhi

Ethics Of Jainism

Ethics Of Jainism This article covers Ethics Of Jainism. Jain ethical code prescribes two dharmas or rules of conduct. One for those who wish to become ascetic and another for the śrāvaka (householders). Five fundamental vows are prescribed for both votaries. These vows are observed by śrāvakas (householders) partially and are termed as anuvratas (small vows)....

Painting in a Jain temple with the statement "ahinsā paramo dharma" (non-injury is the highest virtue/religion)

Ahimsa in Jainism

Ahimsa in Jainism Ahimsa (Ahinsā, ‘ahinsa’, अहिंसा, ahinsā, avihinsā) in Jainism is a fundamental principle forming the cornerstone of its ethics and doctrine. The term ahinsa means nonviolence, non-injury and absence of desire to harm any life forms. Vegetarianism and other nonviolent practices and rituals of Jains flow from the principle of ahimsa. The...

Image depicting map of Jambudvipa as per Jain Cosmology

Jain Cosmology

Jain Cosmology Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the Universe (loka) and its constituents (such as living beings, matter, space, time etc.) according to Jainism. Jain cosmology considers the universe, as an uncreated entity, existing since infinity, having neither beginning nor end. Jain texts describe...

Tortures in the hells

Naraka In Jainism

Naraka In Jainism This article covers Naraka in Jainism. Naraka (नरक) is the realm of existence in Jain cosmology characterized by great suffering. Naraka is usually translated into English as “hell” or “purgatory“. However, Naraka differs from the hells of Abrahamic religions as souls are not sent to Naraka as...

The Medicine Wheel of Time and Karma

Karma In Jainism

Karma In Jainism Karma  is the basic principle within an overarching psycho-cosmology in Jainism. Human moral actions form the basis of the transmigration of the soul (jīva). The soul is constrained to a cycle of rebirth, trapped within the temporal world (saṃsāra), until it finally achieves liberation (mokṣa). Liberation is achieved by...