Hinduism and Jainism

Hinduism and Jainism, two prominent ancient Indian religions, share cultural and historical ties while differing in significant theological aspects. Hinduism, a diverse belief system, includes various rituals, deities, and philosophical ideas. It emphasizes duty (dharma), karma (action and its consequences), and reincarnation.

Jainism, pioneered by Mahavira, focuses on non-violence (ahimsa) and self-discipline, advocating a spiritual path through intense austerity and non-attachment belief in the manifold realms of existence.

Although they differ in certain views, both religions have left a deep impact on Indian society, influencing ethics, spirituality, and cultural practices. Their coexistence shaped the historical and religious landscape of India and left a rich legacy of philosophical thought and spiritual practices.

Hinduism and Jainism

Historical Facts	Hinduism and Jainism
Founder of Hinduism	No single founder
Beliefs	Polytheistic belief in many gods
Core Texts	Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita
Concept of God	Various deities and forms of God
Reincarnation	Belief in reincarnation
Ahimsa (Non-violence)	Emphasized but not exclusive
Caste System	Part of Hindu society
Diet	Varied, some vegetarian
Worship Practices	Temples, rituals, and ceremonies
Goals of Life	Moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death)
Sacred Symbols	Om, Swastika
Holy Places	Varanasi, Ayodhya, etc.
Founder of Jainism	Lord Mahavira (24th Tirthankara)
Beliefs	Belief in non-theistic principles
Core Texts	Agamas and Purvas (Jain scriptures)
Concept of God	No belief in a creator God
Reincarnation	Strong belief in reincarnation
Ahimsa (Non-violence)	The central principle is strict adherence
Caste System	Rejects caste system
Diet	Strict vegetarianism
Worship Practices	Meditation and temple worship
The central principle is strict adherence	Nirvana (spiritual enlightenment and liberation)
Sacred Jain Symbol	Jain Swastika, Ahimsa hand symbol
Holy Places	Shravanabelagola, Palitana, etc.

Introduction

Hinduism and Jainism are ancient religions founded in South Asia. While Jainism claims a particular origin and has “messiah” figures, Hinduism has evolved over the years as a way of life. Hinduism has consolidated some dimensions that are now accepted as doctrine, yet it remains a faith that supports a wide range of beliefs and practices. The Brahmanical version of Hinduism advocates a hierarchical society based on the concepts of purity and pollution but is not necessarily supported by other versions such as the Bhakti movement. Jainism emphasizes withdrawal and austerity and has no internal stratification. While reincarnation and the doctrines of karma and the soul are common to both, the religions differ on essential matters concerning the nature of life, cosmology, and salvation. The similarity perceived between them has often involved merging Jainism with Hinduism and only recently have Jains attempted to establish a separate identity.

The basic principle of Hinduism

The caste division, which they call Varnasrama Dharmas, is a basic precept quoted in Hindu sacred texts. They believe in four important Varnas: Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Shudra; and also the four stages of human life, namely Brahmacharya (before marriage), Grihastha (after marriage), Vanaprastha (during forest retreat), and Sansaya (renunciation of worldly affairs). They believe that every individual should experience these stages in his life and that he must already improve at the Brahmacharya stage.

Basic Principles of Jainism

There are specific principles of Jainism that refer to many teachings and actions associated with liberation and salvation. All the principles are about clarifying the facts and removing confusion about what Jainism is. Let us discuss some basic principles of Jainism that mention the path to Nirvana and eternal salvation:

(1) Ahimsa (non-violence)

Ahimsa is the basic principle of Jainism, as mentioned by the founder of Jainism. According to the teachings of Jainism, all living creatures, including humans, insects, animals, plants, stones, etc., have equal lives. Jainism reinforces the principle of non-hatred, non-injury, and non-injury for all living beings on earth.

(2) Satya (Truthfulness)

The principles of Jainism are their complete unique overview of satya or truthfulness. It is not limited to speaking the truth but Satya refers to choosing the right and eliminating the wrong on a wider platform. It also refers to choosing permanent eternity instead of temporary eternity.

(3) Acharya (non-stealing)

In Jainism, non-stealing is not about grabbing other things, but about attaining a spiritual meaning that eliminates the sense of me, mine, and myself alone. It strengthens the self-intellect to carry pure consciousness of the mind and consider the body as an instrument of life.

(4) Aparigraha (possessiveness)

According to the founder of Jainism, Aparigraha associates non-possessiveness with the materialistic and non-materialistic elements of nature. Aparigraha refers to detachment from thoughts, things, and people. This state is referred to as the self-awakened and mind-intellectual state of mind to separate feelings from the specific elements of nature and practice the restless state of mind.

(5) Celibacy

The total absence of sensual pleasures of all senses, including any desires or pleasures.

Beliefs in Jainism

Jains believe that the universe is divided into two autonomous permanent concepts, which they call the categories of “life” and “non-life”. He also argues that humans can only attain a state of perfection through the disciplines of asceticism, charity, and monasticism. Jains do not believe in gods or God as the creator of heaven and earth. They only believe that a tirthankara of Jainism has a superior position in their doctrine. Deva, as Hemachandra mentioned, contained his inner desires; and this responsibility was exercised only by the tirthankara.

Beliefs in Hinduism

Hindus believe in the doctrine of reincarnation and transmigration of the soul, which means that an individual can gradually be reborn into one of five classes of living beings, such as god, human, animal, hungry ghost, or even a denizen of hell. ; and it all depends on a person’s actions. Hindus believe in the idea of ​​karma, which states that every human being is punished for the things they have done wrong and also blessed for the things they have done right, if not in the existing period, then in their rebirth. With this, they strive to live higher in their existence to attain absorption in the qualities of Brahma. Hindus also believe in various village and tribal gods, namely Brahma (creator), Vishnu (protector), and Shiva (destroyer).

Women in Hinduism and Jainism

The religion of the Jains included women in their fourfold sangha, a religious order of Jain laymen, laymen, monks, and nuns. There was disagreement between early Hinduism and ascetic movements such as Jainism about the biblical approach to women. However, early Svetambara Jainism scriptures prevented pregnant women, young women, or those with small children from entering the ranks of nuns. Regardless, the number of nuns mentioned in these texts was always twice the number of monks. Parshvanatha and Mahavira, two historical Tirthankaras, had a large number of female devotees and ascetics. Tirthankara Mahavira and the Jain monks are credited with raising the status of women.

Religious texts of Jainism and Hinduism

Hindus do not accept any Jain text and Jains do not recognize any Hindu Bible.

(1) Vedas

• (a) The scriptures known as Vedas are considered by Hindus to be one of the foundations of Hinduism. Those who rejected the Vedas as the main source of religious knowledge were labeled “nastika”. Consequently, Jainism and Buddhism were categorized as nāstika darsana. Orthodox schools of Hinduism such as Vedanta, Mimamsa, and Samkhya maintain that the Srutis have no authority and are therefore superior to other religious scriptures. This position was disputed by the Jains, who said that to say the Vedas were authorial was equivalent to saying that the anonymous poems were written by no one. On the contrary, they believed that the Jain scriptures were of human origin, brought by omniscient teachers, and therefore claimed greater value.
• (b) According to the Jains, the origin of the Vedas is Mariachi, the son of Bharata Chakravarti, who was the son of the first Tirthankara Rishabha. Jains claim that these texts were later modified. The Jains pointed out that the Hindus did not know their scriptures because they were not aware of the names of the Tirthankaras present in the Vedas. The Jains had a long-running debate with the Mimamsa school of Hinduism. Kumarila Bhatta, a supporter of the Mimamsa school, argued that the Vedas are the source of all knowledge and through them, people can distinguish between right and wrong. Jain monks such as Haribhadra held the view that humans already possessed all knowledge that only needed to be illuminated or uncovered to attain the status of omniscience.

(2) Vedic sacrifices

The practice of Vedic animal sacrifices was opposed by the Jains. Acharya Hemchandra, a Jain monk, quotes passages from the Manusmriti, one of the Hindu law books, to show how, in the light of false scriptures, Hindus have resorted to violence. Akalanka, another Jain monk, sarcastically said that if killing can lead to enlightenment, one should become a hunter or a fisherman.

(3) Hindu Epics and Jain Epics

The rejection of Jain epics and scriptures dominated Hinduism from very early times. On the other hand, the central Hindu bibles and epics such as the Vedas, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana are categorized as unreliable scriptures in the Nandi-sutra, one of the canonical literatures of the Svetambara. Later, the Jains adapted various Hindu epics to their system. Disputes between Jains and Hindus took place in the form of these epics.

Jain Deities and Hindu Texts

Within the doctrine of Jainism, the Tirthankara has the highest status. Hemachandra Acharya says that Jindeva has conquered his inner desires and passions. According to him, only a tirthankara fulfilled this requirement. Jains therefore reject their path to spiritual upliftment and salvation. Some personalities mentioned in the Vedas and Jain scriptures are the same. There is a mention of the first tirthankara, Rishabhanatha in Rig Veda and Vishnu Purana. It is stated in the Skanda Purana that “Rishabha was the son of Nabhiraja and Rishabha had a son named Bharata and by the name of this Bharata this country is known as Bharata-Varsha”. In the “Brahmastra-condom” section of the Brahma Purana, the Suta narrator describes many matters relating to Shaivism, and in the 16th section, there is a story of Bhadrabahu receiving instruction in mantra from Rishabha the yogi. The Linga Purana mentions that in each kali yuga, Lord Shiva incarnated and that in one kali yuga, there was a Yogeshwara (one of His 28 incarnations) named Rishabha.

Jainism and Hindu Society

Jain scholars and some monks generally allowed some cautious integration with Hindu society. It is quite difficult to distinguish a lay Jain from a lay Hindu. The Jain code of conduct is very similar to the code found in the Hindu Dharmasastra, Manusmriti, and other Brahmin law books. The difference in the rituals practiced by the two religions would be that Jains do not attach any importance to bathing in holy water. According to religious scholar M. Whitney Kelting, some of the “names and narratives” in the Hindu list of sites are also found in the Jain tradition. In the Hindu context, a sati is a virtuous wife who protects her husband and his family. and has “the intention to die before or with her husband.” Kelting notes that those satis who die on their husband’s funeral pyre, or who “intended to die” but were prevented from dying, can attain a state called sati mata. Kelting says that the Jain tradition does not allow self-immolation because of the principle of non-violence and equanimity. Instead, he sees renunciation rather than self-sacrifice as the highest ideal for Jain sati. Hindus think Jainism is simply another branch of Hinduism. Historians of Jainism such as Champat Rai Jain held that Hindus are allegorists of Jainism who allegorized the teachings of Jainism.

Hindu Revival and Indian Identities

With the onset of British colonialism, select groups of Indians developed reactions to British dominance and British criticism of Hinduism. In this context, various reactions to Jainism developed.

Dayanand Saraswati and the Arya Samaj

The Arya Samaj was founded by Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) who “was a lone champion of Vedic authority and infallibility”. Swami Dayanand Saraswati wrote Satyarth Prakash, a book containing the basic teachings of Saraswati and the Arya Samaj. Contains “Dayananda’s bitter criticism of the major non-Vedic religions of Indian origin”. In Satyarth Prakash, he writes that he considered Jainism “the most terrible religion” and that Jains “have a defective and childish understanding”.

Similarities between Hinduism and Jainism

Some similarities between Hinduism and Jainism are given below –

(1) Place of origin

Jainism and Hinduism originated in India. Both are known as ancient religions of the Indians.

(2) Existence of Atman or Soul

Both Jainism and Hinduism accept the existence of Atman or soul and believe in its immortality. For them, the physical body may die, but the soul that inhabits it will live on, leading to reincarnation.

(3) Concepts of Karma, Reincarnation and Moksha

Both Jainism and Hinduism believe in karma (good and bad), reincarnation (continuous recurrence of life after death), and moksha (liberation from the cycle of life and death). However, these terms differ in meaning.

(4) Other Similarities

• (a) Both Hinduism and Jainism believe in reincarnation i.e. the cycle of birth and death.
• (b) Both Hinduism and Jainism believe in non-violence.
• (c) Both Hinduism and Jainism emphasize the consumption of vegetarian food.
• (d) Both religions give importance to meditation.
• (e) Followers of both religions celebrate festivals like Diwali.
• (f) Both religions have the same concepts like moksha, samsara, and karma; although the exact meaning may vary.
• (g) Both religions believe that violence in self-defense is permissible.

Differences between Jainism and Hinduism

(1) Number of Followers

Followers of Jainism have declined over the years as some Jains now consider themselves Hindus. On the other hand, Hinduism is considered to be the third-largest religion in the world.

(2) Belief in Creator

Hindus believe in deities or gods like Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. They believe that these gods created the universe, saved the universe, and punished anyone who did wrong in the universe. On the other hand, Jains do not believe in an almighty god and that the universe itself is more powerful than the laws that the universe has.

(3) Animal sacrifices

Jains do not practice animal sacrifices as they value all forms of life through non-violence. On the other hand, Hindus allow the concept of violence as long as it can help one attain enlightenment.

(4) Concept of Moksha

Hindus believe that Moksha or liberation occurs when a soul unites with its Universal Soul, leading to eternal residence in Vishnu’s Paradise or Vaikunthdham, while Jains believe that Moksha is merely an activity without a peaceful universe, which is said to take place in Siddhabhoomi.

(5) Concept of Karma

For Hindus, karma is an invisible force that happens to people in the temporary world or samsara and depends on words, thoughts, and deeds, whether good or bad; while for Jains, karma is a physical force that can exist everywhere in the universe, particles of which can stick to people’s souls depending on their actions.

(6) Concept of Universe

In Jainism, the universe is more powerful than any creator, which is contrary to the Hindu belief that the universe is made up of the creator Brahma.

(7) Human Life

In Hinduism, man has his various duties in life, such as Brahmana, who is engaged in the study of the Vedas; A Kshatriya who protects people; a vaisya who attends to business matters; and the Shudra, who serves the three above-mentioned types of caste. On the other hand, Jainism teaches individual behavior and spiritual justice through the virtue of non-possessiveness and forming a society without exploitation; but it does not speak of the division and duties of the people in the different classes.

Relationship between Hinduism and Jainism

The Paramara ruler Subhatavarman attacked Gujarat in the 11th century and looted a large number of Jain temples in Dabhoi and Cambay. Veerashaivas and Lingayats, two offshoots of Shaivite Hinduism, displayed hostility towards Jains. Inscriptions from the Srisailam region of Andhra Pradesh record the pride of the Veerashaiva chiefs in beheading Shwetambar Jains. Dharmasthala temple shows the common harmony between Jains and Hindus, as the priests of the temple are Shivalli Brahmins who are Vaishnava and the administration is run by the Jain Bunt family.

Summary of Hinduism and Jainism

Jainism and Hinduism may have coexisted at one point in the history of the world’s religions, but they differ in their beliefs and concepts of a creator, the universe, animal sacrifices, moksha or liberation, karma, and of course, the meaning of human life. One more thing is that the number of followers of Jainism has declined over the years, while Hinduism has become one of the world’s three largest religions after Christianity and Islam.

Conclusion

Hinduism and Jainism are two ancient Indian religions. There are certain similarities and differences between the two religions. The temples, gods, rituals, fasts, and other religious components of Jainism differ from Hinduism. “Jain” is derived from the word Jina, referring to a human being who has conquered all internal passions (such as anger, attachment, greed, and pride) and possesses Kevala jnana (pure infinite knowledge). The followers of the path shown by the Jinas are called Jains. Followers of Hinduism are called Hindus.

(FAQ) Questions and Answers about Hinduism and Jainism