What Do Jains Believe?
Place of Origin: India
Date of Origin: C. 6th century B.C.
Founder: Mahavira is seen as the 24th and last tirthankara of this world age. Jains, like many other South Asian religions, see existence as an eternal/cyclical world that is perpetually moving between enlightened and depraved eras. Tirthankaras (“Makers of the River Crossing”) are those enlightened leaders who come along throughout the world ages to assist humans in achieving “kevala” (omniscience). While Jains maintain a belief in many tirthankaras before Mahavira, he and Parshva (the 23rd Tirthankara) are largely credited with spreading Jainism.
Core Tenets:
- Two categories of existence:
Jiva- Living, formless souls
Ajiva- Matter/nonliving
At some point, jivas were constrained to ajiva and bound to earthly bodies and matter. Jainism’s teaching strives to cleanse the jiva of the uncleanliness of ajiva to return to the jiva’s natural state of purity - Karma in Jainism
As opposed to Hinduism, Jainism emphasizes karma as that which dirties the jiva.
While Hindus see karma as the positive and negative consequences of actions, Jains stress the necessity to free one’s self from action and thereby cleanse the jiva.
- Ahimsa
Most Jains believe strongly in a strict non-violent life. They will take tedious steps to reduce any type of violence, even against plant and insect lives.
- Anekantvad
Similar to the Buddhist concept of impermanence, Jains believe all things are in a constant state of flux, and because of this, they profess a non-absolutism when it comes to reality. They insist that all truth has "many sides", and that no one interpretation of something can entirely encapsulate what is true.
- Aparigraha
Many Jains, especially those in the monastic community, will take great lengths to live without possessions. Some live entirely off of what is given to them by strangers and the community of laity they are surrounded by.
- Ascetics & Laity
The overwhelming majority of Jains are lay people, although the focus of the faith is typically seen as those who have taken on the ascetic lifestyle and renounced all worldly things.
- Highlights of the ascetic life:
- Muhpatti: The small white mask worn by many Jains. The muhpatti keeps the Jain from inadvertently breathing in or upon small bugs or organisms, thereby harming or killing them.
- In some Jain sects, ascetics live a life of wandering without clothes. They will only eat what can fit into the palms of their two hands each day.
- Some schools of thought within Jainism practice Sallekhana, death by fasting. A Jain monk who chooses to perform the ultimate purging of ajiva will abstain from food and drink until their death.
