If i have anything wrong or any thing i should add, tell me and i will correct them. Lord mahavir was the twentyfourth and last tirthankara of the jain religion of this era. Jainism emerged in 6thcentury bce india, the same time buddhism was developing. It has long been my belief that the best way to learn about the beliefs of any religion is through its own source texts. One day the villagers told them, hey, there is an elephant in the village today. Under the influence of passions such as greed and hatred, the soul comes under a complex web of karma, or the past deeds of the soul, and suffers repeated birth and. We hope to see you as a part of our community soon.
Elephant and the blind men once upon a time, there lived six blind men in a village. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as sanatana dharma, the eternal tradition, or the eternal way, beyond human history. The jain scriptures are the source books of jain ethics, yoga, religion, philosophy and mythology. The present book is one of the best and stimulating books ever written by scholars on jainism. Pilgrimage pilgrimage in jainism temples on the shatrunjaya hills, gujurat an important jain site.
It attempts to explain the rationale of being and existence, the nature of the universe and its constituents, the nature of souls. Singhvi and an introduction to the jaina faith by padmanabh s. Jainism, indian religion teaching a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence ahimsa, literally noninjury to all living creatures. Agams are the jain texts which are based on the discourse. Followers of jainism are called jains, and there are about 4 million worldwide. Lord mahavirs preaching was methodically compiled by his followers into many texts.
Jainism is properly the name of one of the religious traditions that have their origin in the indian subcontinent. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis 6 note 4. This religion is unique in comparison to other religions because there is no belief in a deity or greater power. The faith is named for the jinas, spiritual conquerors who have achieved liberation and perfection. Jain philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. The texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the agamas, and are the canonical literature the scriptures of. One of the religions that propagated early in indias history is called jainism. Philosophy of religion internet encyclopedia of philosophy. The texts had to be memorised since jain monks and nuns were not allowed to possess religious books as part of their vow of nonacquisition, nor were they allowed to write. Jainism traces its roots to a succession of 24 jinas those who overcome, or conqueror in ancient east india. Bibliography jainism religion yale forum on religion. I believe that the prophetic scriptures from the books of daniel, revelation and others in the old.
The world of conquerors volume 1 natubhai shah, dr natubhai shah. Originating on the indian subcontinent, jainism or, more properly, the jain dharma is one of the oldest religions of its homeland and indeed of the world. So, after attaining the ultimate height, the nirvan according to both, the jain and buddh religions, the practitioner has to adopt the guidelines of the scriptures sanatan dharm and do bhakti to a personal form of god. Welcome to religious forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding. For many, but not all religions, this is given some form of agency and. Jain scholars were supportive of akbar and jain texts praise his religious tolerance. The subject matter of the answers ranges from the jain doctrine to rules of ascetic behaviour. Jainism beliefs a process of enlightenment similar to hinduism, jainism beliefs also maintain various principles and practices related to meditation, karma, and reincarnation. These texts are collectively known as agams, the sacred books of the jain religion. The jain doctrine since it is very old religion, it has a well developed doctrinal basis comprising of a metaphysics and ontology, b cosmology and cosmography, c theology and mythology, and d ethics, etc. As i recall, there may be a sentence or two of jain scripture in the entire book. Jains trace their spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twentyfour leaders or tirthankaras, with the first being rishabhanatha, who according to jain tradition lived millions. The lord mahavira, who died in 527 bc, was the last of a long series of prophets tirthankara.
Christian missions to india imply that india is a land of heathens, and, therefore, stands on the same level with the andaman or the fiji islands. Jane religion definition of jane religion by the free. Using the eternal sanskrit language, they reveal the total philosophy of each and every aspect of god and the creation of this universe, and, at the same time, they also reveal the process of god realization bhakti. Interesting jain stories jain books, jain novels, jain. It is a fascinating and splendid work of constructive scholarship, and an authentic source of information about jaina philosophy and religion that will serve as a good reference book for many years to come. Of the major indian religions, jainism has had the strongest ascetic tradition. Scholars regard hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various indian. Our goal is to upload his discourses on various aspects of jainism. Furthermore, the earliest buddhist texts discuss jainism in some detail. Unlike most common monotheistic religions, jainism does not have one holy book that characterizes their faith. Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley. Sep 10, 2009 pilgrimage pilgrimage in jainism temples on the shatrunjaya hills, gujurat an important jain site.
Note how the jain meaning of swastika is fundamentally different from modern day interpretation. It discourages superstition and blind faith and encourages free and rational thinking. Along with hinduism and buddhism, jainism is one of the three most ancient indian religious traditions still in existence and an. Jains believe that jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the jain cosmology. The oldest jain literature is in shauraseni and ardhamagadhi prakrit agamas, agamatulya, siddhanta texts, etc. Jain fundamentals jain rituals jain scriptures jain compassion. Basic concepts of jainism and its applications can be learned from chandrakantbhais easy and unique teaching skills and indepth knowledge of the subject.
Philosophy of religion is the philosophical study of the meaning and nature of religion. The saints of jaina religion presented the solutions for various problems of the world. India has a long history of religious and spiritual wealth. The book renders each verse into an easy to understand commentary and provides an excellent overview of the jain philosophy and religion. Jain religion is unique in that, during its existence of over 5000 years, it has never compromised on the concept of nonviolence either in principle or practice. You will need to register to get access to the following site features. For example, we are all familiar with the story of the eight blind men and an elephant. The jain religion originated more than twentyfive hundred years ago in india. Instead they have a collection of holy writings and scriptures. They decided, even though we would not be able to see it, let us. It includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of religious adherents. For example, all three traditions share a notion of karma as the actions of individuals that determine their future births, yet each has attached unique connotations to the concept. The religious scripture of the jains are known as agama.
The scope of much of the work done in philosophy of religion has been limited to the various theistic religions. Lord mahavir, popularly regarded as the founder of jainism, was the last of the tirthankars who flourished from 599 to 527 b. And indeed, his focus on hindu tradition alone blinds him to the presence. Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley dating back to 3000 b. Jains believe that an immortal and indestructible soul resides within every living being. Jane religion synonyms, jane religion pronunciation, jane religion translation, english dictionary definition of jane religion. According to jain tradition, lord rishabh was the first interpreter of ahinsa nonviolence. The tradition presented in the materials below is one of the. Followers of jainism are called jains, and there are about 4 million. The teachings of the twenty four tirthankaras were first composed in fourteen purvas and later in twelve angpravishthaagams an ang being a limb by ganadhars themselves. Saman suttam saman suttam is the religious text created in 1974 by a committee consisting of representatives of each of the major.
Many classical texts are in sanskrit tatvartha sutra, puranas, koshas, shravakacharas, mathematics, nighantus etc. Hence, the jain religion does not have one sacred book like the bible or koran, but it has many books complied by many followers. Centre for the study of comparative religions and civilizations, jamia millia islamia university. An introduction, is a thoroughly researched overview of the jain tradition, a religion and set of philosophical constructs that have influenced indian thought for over 2500 years. It was translated with an introduction by nathmal tatia, includes a foreword by l.
The followers of the religion take five main vows including nonviolence, not lying, not stealing, chastity, and nonattachment. Sep 11, 2009 the texts had to be memorised since jain monks and nuns were not allowed to possess religious books as part of their vow of nonacquisition, nor were they allowed to write. He wrote nearly thirty works in sanskrit, the more noteworthy among them being nyayakusumanjali, adhyatmatattvaloka and kalyanabharati. They do not believe in the existence of a god or gods that will aid the human race. The goal of the jain religion is to achieve liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Jainism, hinduism, and buddhism share many key concepts derived from the sanskrit language and dialects that have enabled them to hone their religious debates. Theantiquity of jainism jaina religion is the oldest religion of india, it began as a spiritual discipline for samanas. It developed a path of renunciation and purification designed to liberate one from the shackles of karma, allowing one to enter into a state of eternal liberation from rebirth, or kevala, which is roughly equivalent to the buddhist concept of nirvana. If you have the book i have put the page numbers at the end of the questions where you can find the answers as a reference. That a country which has been recognised in all ages the world over as the mother of all religions and the cradle of civilisation should be considered as pagan, shows how much ignorance prevails. Jains see these texts, which are the transcriptions of lord mahavirs sermons, as sacred documents. Jain philosophy is the oldest indian philosophy that separates body matter from the soul consciousness completely. The first jina is traditionally believed to have been a giant who lived 8. Jains believe that their religion is extremely ancient. The acharangasutra deals chiefly with the ethical conduct and discipline of monks. Jain texts such as acaranga sutra and tattvarthasutra state that one must renounce all killing of living beings, whether tiny or large, movable or. Matthews, mary evelyn tucker, and philip hefner, 283292. There was a disagreement between early hinduism, and ascetic movements such as jainism with the scriptural access to women. An ascetic religion of india, founded in the sixth century bc, that teaches the immortality and transmigration of the soul and denies the existence of a.
It attempts to explain the rationale of being and existence, the nature of the universe and its constituents, the nature of souls bondage with body and the means to achieve. One of the religions that propagated early in indias history is. The godless religion pennsylvania state university. However, the early svetambara scriptures prevented pregnant women, young women or those who have a small child, to enter to the ranks of nun. Jainism ontario consultants on religious tolerance. Centre for the study of comparative religions and civilizations, jamia millia. Saman suttam saman suttam is the religious text created in 1974 by a committee consisting of representatives of each of the major sects of jainism to reconcile the teachings of the sects. The religion of bharatvarsh sanatan dharm or hinduism is the direct descension of the grace of god which is manifested in the form of the divine bhartiya hindu scriptures. He followed an existing religion, which jains believe was established by rishabhdev, who lived countless centuries before. Hinduism is an indian religion and dharma, or way of life, widely practiced in the indian subcontinent and parts of southeast asia. Jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta,the quran or the bible. The religion of jains included women in their fourfold sangha.
This insight, illustrated by the famous story of the blind men trying to describe an. This website is for the users who want to learn the basic concepts of jain religion. Jul 02, 2017 some have even argued that anekantavada is a philosophical talisman to ward off dogmatic thinking or myopic fundamentalism. The one thing grossly lacking in this book is citation of scripture. Some artifacts found in the indus valley civilization have been suggested as a link to. Mar 17, 2015 jainism is an indian religion that emphasizes complete nonviolence and asceticism. Pilgrimage plays an important part in jain life for digambaras and some svetambaras. Jain philosophy deals with reality, cosmology, epistemology study of knowledge and vitalism. The holy teachers are called the jina, and they are the epitome of teaching for all jains, especially the jina mahavira. Jainism traditionally known as jain dharma, is an ancient indian religion. Jain prateek chihna the official symbol of jainism is the jain prateek chihna. Interesting jain stories jain books, jain novels, jain scripts, jain study, new jain books, stories, short stories, long stories, jain lectures. The holy book of jainism is a collection of texts known as agam literature or the agam sutras.
Jainism you should read enough of the materials presented in this section concerning the tradition of jainism in order to understand how this tradition displays the characteristics or elements that make a tradition one that would be termed a religion. Jainism introduction yale forum on religion and ecology. It is a pattern of reinterpretation and reinvention to rebrand and reposition that is found in many religions, states scholz. Jun 20, 2019 jainism is an ancient indian religion that preaches complete nonviolence, peace, and kindness towards all creatures of nature. His forte was his spiritual and philosophical thinking, and his contribution in the field is both substantial and distinctive. This book is the first comprehensive study of jainism to be published in the west. By accessing different parts of the elephants body, each blind man tries to deduce what he is touching. Not only do the earliest jain monastic codebooks acknowl. Since then, this emblem is used in almost all of jain magazines, on wedding cards, on jain festival cards and in magazines with links to events related to jain society. The kalpasutra describes in detail the lifestory of mahavira. A glance at its contents will reveal the fact that glasenapp has covered almost all the salient features of jainism.
Is there any one principle above all which characterizes jainism. Sep 25, 2014 india has a long history of religious and spiritual wealth. Religious books have quoted the tirthankaras as saying. A beautiful illustration of the concept is captured in jain literature by the story of six blind men and an elephant. The principles of jaina religion can contribute to positive mental health. Popular jainism books meet your next favorite book. Followers of jainism are called jains, a word derived from the sanskrit word jina, meaning victor. It deals with all the main topics of jaina metaphysics, ethics, epistemology and logic.
Jainism, indian religion teaching a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence ahimsa, literally noninjury to all living creatures overview. The tattvarthasutra is a famous book which summarizes jain teachings. So he could be called a reformer of the jain religion or rejunevator of the faith which was already. Jains trace their history through twentyfour tirthankara and revere rishabhanatha as the first tirthankara in the present timecycle. Jainism is an indian religion that emphasizes complete nonviolence and asceticism.
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