A Portrait
by Amar T. Salgia
Founding Member of Young Jains of America
Introduction
The religions of the world differ widely in their beliefs,
faiths, and theories regarding good and evil, happiness and misery,
and survival of death. A popular alternative to the doctrine of a
kind and almighty creator who governs the universe is the theory of
soulless, materialistic atheism which maintains that life and
consciousness are the out-come of the activity of matter, to be
dissipated upon death.
For those finding neither of these assertions satisfactory,
there has been, since time immemorial, a system which neither
denies the existence of the soul, nor starts with the
presupposition of a creator. This system makes each individual the
master of its own destiny, affirming the immortality of every soul
and insisting upon the very highest rectitude of life, unto final
perfection, as a necessary means to permanent happiness now and
hereafter. In this modern era, it is commonly known as Jainism.
Jainism begins with a serious concern for the human soul in its
relationship with the laws governing existence in the universe,
with other living beings, and to its own future state in eternity.
First and foremost, it is a religion of the heart: the golden rule
is Ahimsa, nonviolence by all faculties — mental, verbal, and
physical. The whole of its structure is built upon compassion for
all forms of life. Like an inner Japanese garden, with its
profusion of inner worlds, restrained exuberance, and perfect
orchestration, Jainism, too, emerges as a secret refuge for life,
an artistic oasis; and its delicate balance spanning hope and
despair does not brashly declare itself nor go in for
theatrics.
Jainism offers a quiet, overwhelmingly serious way of life, a
cultural insistence on compassion, a society of ethics that has
dramatically changed the world and will continue to effect change.
Jainism is a momentous example to all of us that there can exist a
successful, ecologically responsible way of life which is
abundantly nonviolent in thought, action, and deed. As a species,
we might misread our history, go forward confusedly to perpetrate
other follies, but we will do so knowing that there is a viable
alternative.
Spiritual Beliefs
Jainism is unlike other systems of thought in that its theories
of cognition, perception, and the nature of the cosmos are, to the
utmost, accurate in the context of modern scientific thought and
reasoning. They will bear the severest scrutiny of the intellect,
and they give freedom to the individual. Jainism does not offer a
deity for humanity to worship or but another means of obtaining its
grace; beyond the rules of right conduct, which are based upon its
understanding of reality and nature, it offers no commandments to
obey or dogmas to accept unconditionally. It teaches that we
— humans, animals, plants, angelics, or denizens of hell
— are individually responsible to ourselves for our own
condition, and for our conduct towards others. It ennobles the
natural purity inherent in all souls, and allows one the freedom to
perceive Truth as it truly is.
Jain religion has a clearly articulated scientific basis which
elucidates the properties and qualities of animate and inanimate
substances which make up the cosmos; their interrelationship is
described in terms of evolution and growth of monads (like atoms),
molecules, non-material continuums and souls. Jainism sets forth
the existence of two fundamental categories of existing entities:
Jiva and Ajiva, soul and non-soul. The non-soul
"substances" are time, space, pudgal (the continuum of matter and
energy), and the media of motion and rest. Genius lies in this
cosmology. Elements of the Jain worldview, as taught for thousands
of years before the Renaissance, include the atomic makeup of
matter, the charged nature of elementary particles, the
interconvertability of energy and matter, the conditions under
which particles combine and dissociate, and dimensions of the
universe comparable to those theorized by Einstein. Jiva
and Ajiva are characterized as having distinct, immutable
properties, but which undergo modification due to certain
conditions. For the soul, those conditions are brought about as
conscious and subconscious thought activity. Through the
interworkings of passions and attachments, soul remains associated
with non-soul, and persists in its cycle of material rise and
decline, suffering and distress, delusion and wandering. Religious
impulse is equated with the search for Truth, which begins with
thought activity along the lines of, "By soul alone I am governed"
(appanan anusasayi), and, "Let karma not bind you."
Dissociation from non-soul is brought about solely through the
requisites of Enlightened Perception, Knowledge, and Conduct. Thus,
the soul is no longer under the influence of that which it is not,
and for the rest of eternity enjoys its natural attributes of
Infinite Knowledge, Perception, Energy, and Bliss; thus the
underlying theory translates directly into practice.
Anekantavada
The doctrine of the multifaceted nature of Truth, is another
basic principle of Jainism which offers systematic, logical, and
nondogmatic algorithms for understanding the multifarious aspects
of the truth behind statements, human perceptions, knowledge, and
the nature of the Self. As a very simple example, just as a father
may also have the role of a husband, a brother, a boss, or a cousin
to different persons, life cannot be understood if taken from one
perspective that prejudices the individual against all others.
Indeed, it is a doctrine rooted in Ahimsa.
Culture
Jainism has not only shown a spiritual way of life to its
followers, but has inspired a distinct stream of culture which has
enriched philosophy, literature, art, architecture, democratic
living, and spiritual advancement in the land of India. Classical
Jain literature is found in the Sanskrit, Prakrit, Hindi, Marathi,
Gujarati, Kannada, and Tamil languages, and in varied forms of
poetry, prose, drama, and story. Its influence has also been traced
to other lands like Greece and Israel. In addition to compounding
philosophical and spiritual treatises, the Jain ascetic-scholars
were champions of secular learning in areas including astronomy,
music theory, political science, linguistics and mathematics. The
artistry and architecture of Jain temples all over the Indian
subcontinent depict the magnificence of detachment, serenity, and
the natural purity of the soul.
Way of Life
In short, the code of conduct is made up of the following five
vows, and all of their logical conclusions: Ahimsa,
Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing),
Aparigraha (non-possessiveness), and Brahmacharya
(chastity). Jain religion focuses much attention on
Aparigraha, non-possessiveness towards material things
through self-control, self-imposed penance, abstinence from
over-indulgence, voluntary curtailment of one's needs, and the
consequent subsiding of the aggressive urge. The code of conduct
prescribed for the Jain monastic order, made up of monks and nuns,
is more rigorous than that prescribed for the laity.
Vegetarianism is a way of life for a Jain, taking its origin in
the concept of compassion for living beings, Jiva Daya.
The practice of vegetarianism is regarded as a potent instrument
for the practice of nonviolence and peaceful, cooperative
coexistence. Jains are strict vegetarians, consuming only
one-sensed beings, primarily from the plant kingdom. While the Jain
diet does, of course, involve harm to plants and microorganisms, it
is regarded as a means of survival which involves the bare minimum
amount of violence towards living beings. (Many forms of plant
material, including roots and certain fruits, are also excluded
from the Jain diet due to the greater number of living beings they
contain owing to the environment in which they develop.
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