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

The Jain scriptures, known as Jain Agam or Agam Sutras, were 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.

Additional resources

Articles and pamphlets

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