Doctrine of Jainism

Rooted in the teachings of Lord Mahavira, the doctrine of Jainism revolves around key principles that guide followers on the path of spiritual enlightenment and ethical living. Central to Jain doctrine is a devotion to non-violence (ahimsa), extending beyond physical actions to thought and speech. Truthfulness, non-attachment, and austerity are other pillars that emphasize the renunciation of material desires.

Jain doctrine delves into the understanding of karma and advocates the reduction of karmic bondage through right knowledge, right belief, and right conduct. The cyclical nature of birth, death, and rebirth is a fundamental aspect, with the ultimate goal being liberation from the cycle of existence (moksha).

The doctrine includes the Three Jewels—right knowledge, right belief, and right conduct—as the path to spiritual liberation. The profound philosophical teachings of Jainism guide adherents to a life of compassion, ethical behavior, and the pursuit of inner purity, which contributes to a harmonious existence with all living beings.

Doctrine of Jainism

Introduction

Jainism is one of the important ancient and universal religious and cultural systems of India that originated for the welfare of mankind. There are twenty-four tirthankaras in Jainism. Rishabanath was the founder of Jainism and was the first Tirthankara; the last Tirthankara of Jainism was Vardhamana Mahavira, who was also a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. The word Jainism is derived from the word Jina, which means conqueror—one who has successfully conquered his passions and desires. All twenty-four Tirthankaras are known as Jinas because they conquered all passions (raga and Dvesha) and attained liberation. It is believed that all human beings have the potential to become others. Jainism does not believe in the existence of God. They believe that the human being is the highest of all who can attain the ultimate goal, i.e., Moksha, or liberation of the soul, which depends on one’s karma and purity of effort. In Jainism, Moksha is the highest and noblest goal that man strives to achieve. This can be achieved by getting rid of unwanted karmic particles and practicing mental and physical discipline. Jainism also follows five important principles. They are: i) one should practice non-violence towards any living being ii) one should always speak the truth iii) one should not commit theft iv) one should not take part in adultery; one should be free from worldly possessions. They are called the vows of ahimsā, Satya, Asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha. Among these promises, non-violence was given the highest emphasis. Lord Mahavira believed that in this world every small and insignificant object has a life and followed the principle of non-violence practically by setting an example for his followers. He emphasized that all living beings of any size, shape, or form are equal and should be loved and respected. Therefore, to uphold the principles of non-violence, the followers of Lord Mahāvīra observe vegetarianism. Religious Jains will do anything to prevent harm to any living being. For this reason, Jainas are believed to take up professions in banking, commerce, trade, and commerce, etc., where there is no chance of killing any living organism. Jainism is considered the world’s most peaceful religion due to its strict non-violence practice. He believes in maintaining peace and harmony among individual members of society. So the principle of Jainism means environmental protection, vegetarianism, understanding, and peaceful coexistence.

Today, the world has become a global village due to advancements in science and technology. But in this modern age, it can be seen that people tend to ignore each other, show self-centeredness, and refuse to be practical. Life became mechanical and materialistic values ​​were emphasized. The reason itself is unknown to everyone, but it is appropriate to think about what is the real cause of the deterioration of human values ​​or relationships. Whether it is the deterioration of human values ​​or ethics that people have faced are some of the crucial questions that some educated citizens are pondering over. It cannot be denied that our society is facing a serious crisis of mutual understanding and cooperation among each other. Violence, dishonesty, self-centeredness, and egoism prevail everywhere. Therefore, this study attempts to analyze how the doctrines of Jainism are relevant to present-day situations.

Doctrines of Jainism

Before analyzing the relevance of the teachings of Jainism in the present context, some of the main doctrines of Jainism are described below:

(1) Tri Ratna or Three Jewels

Jainism is one of the oldest religions in India. To achieve liberation, Jainism follows the three doctrines of right perception (Samyak darśana), right knowledge (Samyak jşāna), and right conduct (Samyak charitra), which were known as the three jewels or the three ratnas. These doctrines are considered the foundations of Jainism. These three gems are dependent on each other. They cannot function alone by avoiding each other. Jainism believes that all three must coexist in man if he is to walk the path of salvation. Therefore, they must be understood together and mutually dependent on each other. The three jewels of Jainism are detailed below:

(a) Right Perception (Samjak Darshan)

Jaina’s Right Belief or Perception is closely related to the Eightfold Path of Buddhism. It is a basic element on the Kerala side. In the process of self-realization, one should avoid superstitious opinions to apply a logical attitude in life. According to this doctrine, one should first try to realize, follow, and appreciate the reality of life, one’s self, the goals of religion, and its path. Right perception is thus defined as belief in the truth. The absence of this belief or wrong belief constitutes a wrong perception. We have remained ignorant of our true selves since time immemorial and have identified with the physical body and otherworldly associations that we acquire as a result of our karma.

Moreover, we also encounter wrong beliefs and become subscribed to them. This is called misperception acceptance. Cultivating the right perception is a great challenge or task to take on as it requires a great deal of discipline and enthusiasm. To better perceive the nature of reality, followers will have to maintain complete faith in the teachings of the Tirthankaras and Jain scriptures, called Agamas.

(b) Right Knowledge (Samjak Jana)

To distinguish between right knowledge and wrong knowledge, right perception is very important. From the right perception comes the right knowledge. The right knowledge can be obtained from the six eternal substances and the nine principles or nine tattvas. These six eternal substances are (i) Soul (Jiva), (ii) Matter (pud gala), (iii) Principle of motion (dharma), (iv) Principle of rest (dharma), (v) Space (akasa) and (vi ) Time (kala). Each of these eternal entities is unbreakable, permanent, and eternal and is constantly undergoing innumerable changes.

The nine Tattvas include (i) Jiva (soul), (ii) Ajiva (inanimate elements), (iii) Punya (good deeds), (iv) Papa (bad deeds), (v) Asrava (tide of karma). ), (vi) Samvara (cessation of karma), (vii) Bandha (binding of karma), (viii) Nirjara (eradication of karma), (ix) Moksha (liberation). Knowledge of these nine basic principles is said to be of great importance for liberation. By gaining knowledge of these principles one can advance in one’s pursuit of spirituality.

(c) Right Action (Samjak Charitra)

Right perception leads to right knowledge and right knowledge leads to right action. Right conduct aims to inculcate the right ethics, values, principles, and discipline by which one can attain his ultimate freedom. Right behavior can be realized by doing what is right. In other words, one should live his life according to some ethical rules of Jainism. Followers of Jainism are expected not to harm any living beings and should not be attached to any worldly possessions. This leads to the adoption of twelve great vows to achieve the right conduct. They are described as follows:

(a) Five major vows of a limited nature (Anuvratas)

• (i) Non-violence (ahimsa),
• (ii) Truthfulness (Satya),
• (iii) Non-stealing (Asteja),
• (iv) Chastity (brahmacharya),
• (v) Non-attachment (aparigraha ).

(b) Three meritorious vows (Guna Vratas)

• (i) Dik Vrata (self-restraint),
• (ii) Bhogopabhógamana (self-restraint to edible and non-consumable objects),
• (iii) Anartha-danda (avoidance of unnecessary evil).

(c) Four disciplinary vows

• (i) Samayik vrata (engagement in meditation),
• (ii) Desavakasika vrata (limitation of space),
• (iii) Pausadha Vrata (ascetic),
• (iv) Atithi Samvibhaga Vrata (charity).

By observing these twelve vows, the followers of Jainism can live a life of perfection and defeat their unwanted desires. Separately, the three jewels of Jainism are incomplete and insufficient because they are highly interdependent. Together, these three jewels of Jainism lead to peace, harmony, happiness, and joy among souls in society.

(2) Karma in Jainism

The doctrine of Karma is the result of a very old and well-established saying that “You reap what you sow”. In other words, the doctrine of karma is a phenomenon of everyone’s daily life that people observe and experience every action has a reaction and one should be prepared to pay heavily for one’s bad deeds. Jainism believes that good karma (punya) will lead to positive effects such as happiness, contentment, love, peace, and joy, and bad karma (pāpa) will lead to negative effects such as hatred, sorrow, suffering, and problems. According to the doctrine of karma, the life course of every living being here and hereafter is determined by his karma or deeds, and pious living leads to comfort, contentment, and general well-being in the present life and rebirth into higher and better forms. existence. Evil actions result in birth in lower forms of existence in the future life and unhappiness or misfortune in the present existence.

(3) AnekantaVada

According to Jainism, the nature of truth and reality is complex and has many forms which cannot be perceived or understood by a simple common man. There is no single statement that can describe the absolutism of reality in this world. People perceive the same aspect from different angles and therefore indulge in debates and passionate arguments to prove that their point of view is completely true and absolute. Different people look at different aspects of the same reality, and therefore their partial insights seem to contradict each other. Lord Mahāvīra or Jain philosophy came by introducing a doctrine called anekāntavāda which can eradicate anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, quarrels, war, and pride. This is considered one of the fundamental doctrines of Jainism.

According to this doctrine, one should always try to analyze things from different points of view. All aspects have many facets that are not easily seen or understood because things may not always be what they seem. Correct application of this doctrine will help followers avoid violence and hatred towards others. Respecting the opinions of different people and avoiding negative thoughts would help in solving the problems of our daily lives today. Anekāntavāda teaches us various lessons that can benefit not only individuals but the entire nation. Some of its characteristics are: (i) we should never force anyone to accept our thoughts and opinions, (ii) choice of words is essential, (iii) one should not be proud but humble, (iv) be a trustworthy person, (v) Creation of universal brotherhood and friendship. Such virtues will help individuals to promote peace and harmony in society. It needs to be nurtured and preserved so that we can develop among ourselves the quality of sensitivity and forgiveness.

(4) Non-violence

The doctrine of non-violence is the greatest legacy left by Lord Mahavira to mankind. Ahimsa is based on love and kindness to all living beings. In the Jain scriptures, it has been repeatedly emphasized that even the thought of evil is as bad as the action leading to injury. It is not limited to non-violent killing of living beings but also refrains from using abusive words and behavior. Ahimsa can be practiced by not harming, injuring, or causing pain in any way to living beings – animals, insects, or humans. Jainism believes that killing living beings counts as bad karma, thus delaying the liberation of the soul. We can practice nonviolence if we refrain from violence.

According to Acharya Umaswati: “Violence is obstructing life processes through activities of body, speech and mind tainted by negligence. Violence is of two kinds: physical violence and mental violence. Obstructing or injuring physical life processes is physical violence and bringing about inappropriate thoughts and feelings is mental violence. Jainism asserts that injury to others always involves injury to the life processes of the self. When we intend to harm or injure others, we have passions such as anger, pride, deceit, and greed. Therefore, we always do violence to ourselves in doing so”.

(5) Renunciation

Renunciation means that you give up the pursuit of material comforts to attain spiritual enlightenment. It is highly practiced by Jainas. Lord Mahāvīra’s sermons never say that one cannot possess wealth, qualities, or materials for pleasure, but one should keep demands to a minimum. This will create peace and contentment in the minds of Jains through which they can live a contented life with other members of the society. The more people desire worldly things, the more selfish and self-centered they become. Rare time can be used instead by spending time with family members, contributing to the development of the community and society, or helping people in need. Therefore he who is free from passions, has mastered his senses, and is courageous, enterprising, and fearing birth and rebirth (is said to) practice happy renunciation.”

An Analysis of the Importance of the Doctrines of Jainism in the Present Crisis

The world is going through a crisis which is creating a lot of chaos and confusion, leading to uncertainty about our future. Day by day he witnesses some unwanted situations and circumstances. The world has become a global village due to the advancement in science and technology but it has failed to bring closeness in the minds of men who are seen moving away from each other. People are still greedy, selfish, self-centered, and egotistical without caring for society and the community. There is no feeling of brotherhood among the people but they are ready for bloodshed or massacre, sometimes in the name of caste or creed or sometimes in the name of religion and so on. Keeping in view the present scenario all over the world, an attempt has been made to analyze the relevance of the doctrines of Jainism in the present situation. Each of the above doctrines will be discussed in the context of the present day.

(1) Violence against women is prevalent not only in India but all over the world. There are reports of sexual harassment, rape, murder, assault, domestic violence and gender discrimination etc. against women everywhere. They have been mistreated by society since time immemorial. Compared to their male counterparts, they are persecuted and considered weak in all areas of life. The government has also taken the right step to promote gender equality by introducing various programs for women and girls. However, the cause of the situation is the degradation of moral and social values ​​in society. It is disheartening to say that some religions are gender oriented. But Jainism has been supporting women and its existence since time immemorial. Women not only get a very respectable position in society but are also considered equal to men in all fields. To achieve liberation, Jainism follows the three doctrines of right faith (Samjak darshan), right knowledge (Samjak Jana), and right conduct (Samjak charitra) ), which are known as the three jewels or the three ratnas. Therefore, this doctrine is relevant to current situations that can liberate the souls of women and men from the bondage of freedom and liberty.

(2) We live in a modern world, so we try to adapt to the characteristics of modernity. We get used to various advanced technological gadgets and equipment to keep up with the changing times. People with this new modern life are very busy and forget to connect with family, friends, and society. But as modern as we are, we should never forget to keep our feet on the ground. We should always try to do good things in life. Because it is our karma that decides our destiny. It is believed that if we do good karma, good things will happen, but if we do bad karma, then bad things will happen and will follow for many generations. Jainism denies the existence of God and therefore they worship twenty-four Tirthankaras. Jains believe that man is the creator of his destiny and that one can escape the onslaught of karma only by living a simple life of purity and virtue.

(3) Nowadays people are religious fanatics and are against the beliefs and beliefs of other religions. Today, religious fanaticism spreads among individuals like wildfire. They are always ready to hurt the religious feelings of the other. For today’s society, the most essential thing required is the virtue of tolerance. AnekantaVada doctrines forbid being dogmatic and always preach to look at things from different angles to find the truth. Such value of anekāntavāda is important for solving problems arising due to differences in ideologies and beliefs. In Jainism, it is seen that Jains tried to maintain religious harmony and avoid religious conflicts to maintain harmony in society. Therefore, at this time there is a need to bring religious tolerance and respect for coexistence between individuals, which is possible only with the flexible approach of the anekantaVada doctrine.

(4) Today’s world believes in power and money to live a successful and happy life. Every member of society craves materialistic pleasures to seek contentment and satisfaction. During this process, he witnessed that there was no feeling of universal brotherhood among the members. Instead, they engage in fights, debates, and arguments to prove themselves right. People are happier when they can make comments that may not be in favor of their counterparts without realizing how much they might get hurt. There is no peace of mind among the members which makes them vulnerable to some of the major diseases of today like hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks, etc. All human beings are equal and everyone has the right to live their life accordingly. If I believe that no one has the right to hurt me, then the same goes for me. There is an old saying that goes “Live and let live”. If we want to live in peace and harmony in our society, we will have to respect each other’s differences and attitudes. We will have to develop a firm belief in the equality of mankind. The non-violence of Jainism does not mean only the killing of living beings, but also refraining from mental torture, violent arguments with one’s counterparts, or the use of harsh words and behavior. Thus, through the doctrine of ahimsā or non-violence, a sense of brotherhood and compassion for all living beings, even animals, can be developed among the members as stated in Jainism.

(5) Today the world has become very competitive and people are in a rat race to be one over the other. Everyone wishes to rule others by using all unfair means and tricks according to their best possible ways. In the process of striving for the highest positions and in the desire to possess more power and wealth, people have gone to great lengths to fulfill these desires without realizing the consequences. Jainism is not against the possession of wealth, possessions, or materials for pleasure, but the requirements should be kept to a minimum. It emphasizes that you do not get more than is necessary. Jains emphasize that individuals must contribute generously with their property, wealth, and money to the poor people or the needy people in society or for the development of the welfare of the society and the nation. The preaching of Tirthankaras is to avoid greed at all costs and remain calm and happy by helping the disadvantaged.

Conclusion

Our society is indeed going through a horde of problems arising from various sectors. As it stands today, violence, communalism, regionalism, murder, rape, gender discrimination, and a lack of solidarity prevail everywhere. We need to inculcate moral and social values ​​among us to support our physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects. The doctrines of Jainism about the present situation are very relevant. Jains have proven time and again the effectiveness of spiritual progress by putting it into practice in their own lives. With these doctrines of Jainism, we can bring back peace and harmony in society and the world.

(FAQ) Questions and Answers about the Doctrine of Jainism