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Kayla Orate

Comparative Religions Block C

Jainism Essay

30 September 2016

Addiction in Absence

Jainism was founded during 550 BCE in Eastern India. Though there is no specific

founder, important teachers of the faith include Parshvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankara, and

Mahavira, the twenty-fourth and final Tirthankara of Jainism. Tirthankara is not a reincarnated

god, but rather, human beings who practice intense meditation and moral values to obtain the

title of Tirthankara.

Parshvanatha created four of the five, great vows, which are non-violence, not stealing,

truthfulness, and not owning property. He is associated closely with snakes after saving a snake

from a burning log. Parshvanatha married a princess and lived in bliss for thirty years before

dedicating himself to immense meditation and abstinence. He had eight or ten followers, became

a saint of Jainism, and emphasized great care for all living creatures, visible or invisible.

Mahavira was born in Kundapura, and was originally named Vardhamana. He was

transported by the gods into the womb of Trisala, a woman of the warrior caste, instead of a

woman of the brahmin caste. Trisala witnessed fourteen dreams that foreshadowed Vardhamana's

future. The dreams revealed Vardhamana was either going to become a soverign ruler or a

spiritual teacher. The answer was discovered after his parents died. Vardhamana left palace life at

thirty-years-old and dedicated the rest of his life to rigorous fasting and meditation. His name

changed to Mahavira after he obtained enlightenment. Mahavira formed a community of 36,000

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nuns and 14,000 monks before his death and added celibacy to create the five great vows of

Jainism. He died at age seventy-two and attained,moksha, which is the end of all rebirth.

A common religious custom Jains participate in is fasting. Women often practice fasting

more than men, and monks and nuns fast for penance. Fasting promotes asceticism, which is

self-control to purify the mind and body and make human beings not desire anything. The

purpose of fasting is to prevent self-indulgence and to emulate Mahavira. Another Jain practice is

going on pilgrimages to visit different temples and imitate the life of nuns and monks.

Jains believe in non-violence, or ahisma. Because of this belief, Jains live on a very strict

diet. Jains are vegetarians to protect the lives of animals because they believe killing an animal

prevents them from achieving moksha. The life animals currently live in, including the pain they

suffer, is supposed to pay off the wrongs they committed in their previous life. By having a

natural death, animals have a better chance of obtaining a better existence in their next life. In

order to protect microorganisms, Jains are forbidden to drink unfiltered water, eat food stored at

night, or consume fermented food. They are cautious where they step to prevent murder of bugs

or bacteria invisible to human vision. As they change sleeping positions, Jains must sweep over

the new area they plan to lie on. In fact, this routine becomes a habit for Jains and they can do

this in their sleep.

Jain monks and nuns have even stricter practices. They are not allowed to have any

physical contact with the opposite sex, cannot wear shoes, cannot receive any food cook for them

or eat food in front of an layperson, and follow a nomadic lifestyle. Some monks or nuns restrict

themselves to only nuts, fruit, and milk, and prefer to utilize their hands rather than dishes or

utensils. They are supposed to shave their heads, live a poor life, beg for food, and wear white

clothing or no clothes at all. Some also wear masks to prevent inhaling insects.

Worship of Jains takes place at the temple or shrines at home, where Jains chant and
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focus on religious images of their gods. Meditation is also an important aspect of Jainism

because it focuses and creates peace within the mind. While meditating, Jains will chant mantras,

or particular words or sounds repeated during meditation. They are supposed to reinforce the five

great vows of Jainism, such as nonviolence, and are believed to destroy evil and heal illnesses.

Non-violence, not stealing, celibacy, and honesty are important moral values to teach in

every religion. It is important to care for all creation, even living creatures humans cannot see.

Though Jains take non-violence to an extreme level, it is astounding to witness their dedication

and care for all living creatures. Celibacy exhibits dedication to one's own spouse, which is

important to prevent sensual pleasures and indulgence. However, though Jains do not believe in

owning property, it is important and much easier to raise a family in the comfort of a home.

Children will be able to attend school, socialize with others, and learn simple skills, such as

cooking and cleaning, by living in a household. By living a nomadic life, children will not be

able to experience living in one place and building a special connection in the place they grew up

in.

Jains do not only disagree with owning property, but also disagree with attachment to

material possessions, the five senses, and relationships with others. However, by not being

attached to others, relationships between people are limited in Jainism. People are supposed to

help people, and no one should go through life alone. However, Jainism insists that human

beings should be more independent from one another. Though material possessions should not be

a priority in someone's life, material possessions are important to grow as a person and cultivate

one's talents. For example, becoming educated requires reading and writing materials, and to

excel in artistic talent requires instruments or artistic materials.

Jains are not supposed to get too attached to their workplace. However, there is no wrong

with someone being passionate about their occupation, or working hard to earn a good living. To
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make a difference in the world and in someone's life, it requires a certain attachment and care for

them and the world. Jains believe in protecting living creatures, which in that case, should also

apply to caring for other humans. By being animated about one's job, they are using their talents

and helping to excel society while they are doing something they love.

Another belief in Jainism is reincarnation and a universe that cannot create more for or

destroy parts of itself. Jains believe a person is reincarnated depending on their past life and

whether it attracted good or bad karma. However, if people reincarnate into another being, why

cannot people remember their past lives? What if someone reincarnates into someone who is not

raised to believe in Jainism? How will they be able to reach moksha? Not just in Jainism, but in

other religions, it is difficult to find evidence for what occurs after death. However, there is

simply just no specific evidence presented that proves reincarnation exists. People who believe in

reincarnation are convinced that energy is, recycled. For example, once a tree grows and sheds

leaves, those leaves eventually die and fertilize other trees. Rain falls into large bodies of water,

then later, rain evaporates to form clouds that cause rain. However, though these claims are true,

how do souls transfer into other bodies they have no contact with? At least with trees and rain,

the cycle flows and makes logical sense, whereas there is no actual evidence that reincarnation

takes place.

Life also seems less important if reincarnation is true. For example, marrying someone is

of lesser importance because the husband and wife may marry someone else in their next life.

However, life should always be cherished because there is no assurance that reincarnation is true.

Because the purpose of life is to obtain enlightenment in Jainism, there is only one ticket out of

the universe. This focuses too much on creating the frame of a, perfect life, one must follow to

achieve enlightenment. Instead, life should be about making mistakes, but learning how to fix

them because no one is flawless. There is no way to achieve enlightenment if a person cannot
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remember and learn from his previous life.

Jains also believe in preserving the lives of all animals and living creatures. However,

living this lifestyle is very difficult in an urban society. Transportation such as cars, planes, and

trains hurt living beings because of the air pollution they release. Eating certain fruits and

veggies whose companies use pesticides, also hurt bugs, bacteria, and fungi. Jains, in these cases,

are extremely limited in what they can consume and where they can go.

Jains model non-violence and care for all animals. They live a life of peace, harmony, and

honesty. They sacrifice so much of their lives to preserve living creatures, while living under

extreme conditions that most people in the modern world could not do. Jainism teaches good

morals that should be respected, and all religions should appreciate nature and preserve it.
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Works Cited

Dundas, Paul. Premanand Shah, Umakant. Strohl, G. Ralph. Jainism. Britannica, 2016. Web.

Accessed 10 October 2016. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jainism>

Jain Practices. Religionfacts.com, March 17, 2015. Web. Accessed 10 October 2016.

<http://www.religionfacts.com/jainism/practices>

Dundas, Paul. The Jains. Routledge, 4 July 2002. Print.

Jainism 101. Dir. Keith Hughes. 27 August 2016. Film. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=l0LxwiFXOOU>