Chapter 4 : Jainism

Introduction

Jainism is a religion of ancient times with its name derived from the term Jina, which means ‘liberator’, referring to spiritual conquest.Jainism is an ancient religion that is rooted in the philosophy that teaches the way to liberation and a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence to all living creatures.

• The religion has its roots in the ideology that teaches the way to liberation and enlightenment through non-violence to all living creatures.
• Jains worship a group of 24 liberated souls known as Tirthankaras who act as teachers and role models for the faithful.
• The Jain Canonical was constituted at the Valabhi Council, chaired by Devardhi around 454 C.E.
• Tattvartha Sutra or the Book of Realities, written by Umasvati, the monk-scholar is considered to be the fundamental scripture.
• The religion does not acknowledge the authority of the Vedas.
• The doctrine of Jaina is older than the Buddhist doctrine.
• Buddha and Mahaviras were contemporaries
• The other name of ‘Jina’ is ‘Tirthankara’ which means fort builder.
• Jainism has a conception of time consisting of six ‘Kalas.
• All the Tirthankaras have supposedly taught the same doctrine.

Origin of Jainism

• Jainism became prevalent in the 6th century B.C., when Lord Mahavira propagated the religion.
• There were 24 great teachers, the last of whom was Lord Mahavira.
  • These twenty-four teachers were called Tirthankaras-people who had attained all knowledge (Moksha) while living and preached it to the people.
  • The first Tirthankara was Rishabnatha.
• The Vedic religion had turned rigid and orthodox with complicated rituals and the supremacy of Brahmins.
• The Varna system partitioned the people into 4 classes based on their birth, where the two upper classes enjoyed various privileges and the lower castes led a miserable life.
• The Kshatriyas’ reaction toward the domination of the Brahmins.
• The doctrines of Jainism were taught in the Prakrit language, making it more understandable to ordinary people as opposed to Sanskrit.
• Spread of the new agricultural economy in the north-eastern parts of India due to the use of iron tools
• The word ‘Jain’ is derived from jina or jaina which means the ‘Conqueror’.
• All the Tirthankaras were Kshatriyas by birth.

Vardhamana Mahavira

• Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism, was born in Kundagrama near Vaishali in 540 B.C.
• He belonged to the Jnatrika clan and was related to the royal family of Magadha.
• His father Siddharta was the chief of the Jnathrika Kshatriya clan and his mother Trishala was the sister of Chetaka, the king of Vaishali.
• He had a daughter named Anojja with his wife Yasoda.
• At the age of 30 years, he renounced his home and became an ascetic.
• He practiced austerity for 12 long years and acquired the highest spiritual knowledge termed Kaivalya (conquered sorrow and happiness) at the age of 42.
• He delivered his first sermon at Pava.
• From this time until his death, he taught the philosophy of Jainism for 30 years.
• He preached his teachings for 30 years and died at Pavapuri (near Rajagriha) aged 72.
• A symbol was associated with every Tirthankara and Mahavira’s symbol was a lion.
• He was called Mahavira, Kina, and Kaivarin.

Cause of Origin

• Hinduism had become rigid and orthodox with complex rituals and dominance of Brahmins.
• The Varna system divided the society into 4 classes based on birth, where the two higher classes enjoyed several privileges.
• Kshatriya’s reaction against the domination of the brahmanas.
• Spread of the new agricultural economy in the north-eastern India due to the use of iron tools.
• Vedic religion had become highly ritualistic.
• Jainism was taught in Pali and Prakrit thus was more accessible to the common man as compared to Sanskrit.
• It was accessible to people of all castes.
• Varna system had rigidified and people of the lower castes led miserable lives. Jainism offered them an honourable place.
• About 200 years after the death of Mahavira, a great famine in the Ganga valley prompted Chandragupta Maurya and Bhadrabahu (last Acharya of the undivided Jain sangha) to migrate to Karnataka. Jainism spread to Southern India after that.

Teachings of Jainism

• Mahavira rejected Vedic principles.
• He did not believe in God’s existence. According to him, the universe is a product of the natural phenomenon of cause and effect.
• He believed in Karma and transmigration of the soul. The body dies but the soul does not.
• One will be punished or rewarded as per one’s karma.
• Advocated a life of austerity and non-violence.
• Stressed on equality but did not reject the caste system, unlike Buddhism. But he also said that man may be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ as per his actions and not birth.
• Asceticism was taken to a great length. Starvation, nudity, and self-mortification were expounded.
• Two elements of the world: Jiva (conscious) and Atma (unconscious):
  • Right faith
  • Right knowledge
  • Right conduct (observance of five vows)
    1. Ahimsa (non-violence)
    2. Satya (truth)
    3. Asteya (no stealing)
    4. Aparigraha (no acquiring property)
    5. Brahmacharya (abstinence)

The Spread of Jainism

• Mahavira spread the teachings of Jainism by organizing a Sangha of his followers with both men and women.
• The religion gradually spread to western India owing to the weakness of the Brahmanical religion.
• Prakrit language was used to preach the doctrines instead of the Sanskrit language patronized by the Brahmanas.
• Jainism spread in Karnataka when Chandragupta Maurya became a Jaina, spending his last years in Karnataka as a Jain monk.
• Jainism spread in South India as a result of the huge famine that took place in Magadha, 200 years after Mahavira’s death. The famine lasted for 12 years. To safeguard themselves many Jainas, under the leadership of Bhadrabahu went to the south.
• Jainism spread to Odisha in the 4th century BCE and adored the support of the Kalinga King, Kharavela.
• Later, Jainism penetrated Malwa, Gujarat and Rajasthan with these areas having a good number of Jainas engaged in trade and commerce even today.
• Despite Jainism not winning as much support as Buddhism, it still maintains its hold in the areas where it spread.

The Concept of God in Jainism

• Jainism considers that the universe with its substances as a whole is everlasting. It neither has a beginning nor end with regards to time. The universe has its own arrangement and runs on its own cosmic laws.
• All the entities transform or change their forms constantly and nothing can be created or destroyed in the universe.
• It is not needed for someone to build or govern universal affairs.
• Hence, the religion of Jainism does not believe in the presence of God as a creator, survivor or destroyer of the universe. It just believes God to be a perfect being.
• When an individual destroys all his karmas, he turns into a liberated soul possessing endless knowledge, endless vision, endless power and infinite bliss and such liberated souls will live in a perfectly happy state in Moksha forever. This perfect being is considered a God of the Jain religion.
• Every living being has the capability to become God.
• Hence Jainism doesn’t have the concept of one God, but innumerable Gods and the count is constantly rising with more living beings attaining liberation.
• All the substances change or modify their forms continuously. Nothing can be destroyed or created in the universe.
  • There is no need for someone to create or manage the affairs of the universe.
  • Hence Jainism does not believe in God as a creator, survivor, and destroyer of the universe.
  • However Jainism does believe in God, not as a creator, but as a perfect being.
    • When a person destroys all his karmas, he becomes a liberated soul. He lives in a perfect blissful state in Moksha forever.
    • The liberated soul possesses infinite knowledge, infinite vision, infinite power, and infinite bliss. This living being is a God of Jain religion.
    • Every living being has a potential to become God.
    • Hence Jains do not have one God, but Jain Gods are innumerable and their number is continuously increasing as more living beings attain liberation.

The Split of Jainism

• The Jain order has been divided into two important sects or schools known as Digambara and Svetambara.
• The split occurred primarily due to the great famine in Magadha that forced a group of Jainas under the leadership of Bhadrabahu to move to South India.
• Over the course of the 12 years of famine, the group in South India was pinned to strict traditions, while the group in Magadha adopted a looser attitude and started to wear white clothes.
• When the Jaina group in South India came back to Magadha, following the end of the famine, the change in practices resulted in the division of Jainism into two sects.
  1. Swetambaras: White-clad; Northerners
  2. Digambaras: Sky-clad (naked); Southerners

Differences between the Sects of Jainism