Jainism

Jainism, one of India’s three oldest religions, has important characteristics in common with its Hindu and Buddhist counterparts. The major one is that it teaches reincarnation along with that idea’s “twin doctrine,” karma. To escape the endless wheel of deaths and rebirths, one must achieve enlightenment or liberation, a state known as moksha. This, of course, is accomplished by transcending or overcoming our egotistical passions and our attachment to the world of the senses.

In Jainism, the concept of ahimsa, harmlessness, is paramount. Some monks and nuns are given to wearing masks and sweeping the path before their moving feet, so that even the tiniest of life forms will not be injured or killed. Jains are strict vegetarians who even shun root vegetables, since eating the root will kill the plant. They appear to be among the most peaceful inhabitants of planet Earth.

History

The roots of Jainism are in the India of the 5th to 7th centuries BCE. Although the Jains do not recognize a historical founder, they revere a spiritual leader known as Mahavira (“Great Hero”), born into India’s warrior (kshatriya) class sometime around 599 BCE (or perhaps later). This Tirthankara or “ford maker” — that is, one who helps others cross a stream or river — is believed to have been the 24th and last Jain teacher of the current Kalpa or Great Age. According to tradition, at the age of 30 he gave up all his worldly goods and became an ascetic. After a dozen years of fasting and meditation, he achieved enlightenment and went on to establish a Jain community of some 50 thousand followers.

It is quickly noticeable that the many Tirthankaras mostly predate the origins of the formal religion. These sages were not considered incarnations of a god; they were ordinary humans who reached enlightenment due to their own devotion and discipline. They were great teachers, all of whom demonstrated the basic Jain philosophy while modifying it for the times in which they lived. Apparently it was Mahavira’s many thousands of followers whose practices gave rise to what is now the Jain religion.

Mahavira may have been a contemporary of the Buddha, who is generally believed to have lived from 563 to 483 BCE, although some scholars believe the Buddha flourished a century later than these dates.

Scriptures

There are myriad Jain scriptures, known as Jain Agam or Agam Sutras, originally compiled by the chief disciples of Mahavira; they comprise both religious and literary texts. The two major divisions of these works are called the Digambara and the Svetambara Siddhantas, or canons.

The Svetambara canon consists of some two dozen Angas and a dozen Sutras. The twelve Angas (“limbs”) discuss the life of monks and include many sermons on various Jain themes, while the twelve Upangas (“auxiliary limbs”) cover topics such as Jain cosmology (including treatises on astronomy and philosophy), the human soul, and karma and reincarnation. The six Chedasutras relate to the requirements for the actions of monks and nuns. The four Mulasutras, similarly, contain guidelines for the newly initiated; and the two Culikkasutras comment on and may help to interpret the Angas.

The Digambara canon seems to be the larger of the two main divisions. The two oldest texts, the Shatkhandagama and the Kasayapahuda (c. 2nd to 3rd century CE), go into quite some detail on karma. The Shatkhandagama, or “Scripture in Six Parts,” delineates the theory of karma, including “calculations and subdivisions.” Generally regarded as not for the beginner, it discusses the nature of karma and its connection to the human soul. The six parts include “divisions” of karma; perception; categories of living beings; and the intricacies and “ownership” of bondage as well as “Maha” (great or profound) bondage, presumably in regard to our being enslaved by our involvement with the material world. The Kasayapahuda, a “Treatise on Passions,” also examines our attachment to materiality. Other Digambara texts include the Anuyogas, which encompass accounts of various religious stories (such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as Jain history) in addition to treatises on right conduct, mathematics, and philosophy.

These few texts are apparently just the tip of the iceberg (Wikipedia lists 175 items) but seem to be the most important ones.

Additional resources

Articles and pamphlets

• Jainism by Annie Besant
• Jainism in Theosophy World
• Green Karma by Aidan Rankin