Jainism

Introduction

The Jain tradition stems from Buddhism. The founder of Jainism, Mahavira, born around 599 B.C.E., was the senior contemporary of Gautama Buddha. He is considered by Jains to be greatest religious leader and is called jina (victor). The followers of Mahavira came to be called Jain (the)s, meaning followers of Victorious One. Since period of Mahavira's reformation within India, tradition has continued to flourish in Indian subcontinent, unlike Buddhist tradition that faded out in India. There are about 4 million Jains today in India, United Kingdom, Canada, and United States. (Joel 81)

Discussion and Analysis

Jain principles were taught by Mahavira, final teacher in the series of enlightened individuals. The teachings of Jain tradition are eternal, with no beginning and no end. The teachings are always there, and will continue to prosper and show people path of their religion. No single Jain founding figure has been recorded, but there is the line of great teachers who reveal teachings of Jainism to each successive era, with greatest and most profound being Mahavira. The teachers of Jain tradition are called Tirthankaras, meaning “crossing makers” who lead people to cross over into their new enlightened selves. The Tirths hold special status because they have achieved liberation or Kaivalya and are able then to teach Jain path to others. (Joel 81)

Within Jainism there have been 24 Tirths; Mahavira being last Tirth to appear in current cycle of time. Through Mahavira, Jainism takes its present form. Mahavira is significant to Jain tradition because he was the Tirthankara, he achieved Kaivalya, reestablished Jain teaching, and established fourfold order of Jains (monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen). The planet would a lot cleaner and more pure. People would be healthy and morally straight. If people in America were afraid of their next lives, the crime rates would drop considerably and public saftey would improve. Animal extinction would no longer be a problem because not only would it be against the law to kill an endangered species; it would be against the laws of Jainism. All business practices would be fair and legal where nobody gets ripped off and nobody gains too much. Jainism, I concluded, could be the path to utopia. (Sama? xiii)

Mahavira also established three jewels of Jainism: (1) being right in faith (samyak darsana), which implies the moment of spiritual insight, truth from the right viewpoint; (2) right knowledge (samyak jnana), which implies that one is led down path by right knowledge and right conduct; and (3) right conduct (samyak caritra), which consists of five vows or Mahavrata. The first vow is Ahimsa, which means path of nonviolence; second is Satya, which is truthful speech; third is Asteya, which means no stealing; fourth is Brohmacharya, which is avoiding sexual misconduct; and finally, Aparigraha is detachment from worldly things. (Joel 81)

Jains categorize all things into two categories: alive and not alive. Jiv means to be alive, and the person's soul is alive (humans, animals, plants, and vegetables are deemed Jivas). Ajiva is dead, such as matter, space, time, and ...