|
|
Introduction
The subcontinent
of India has been the birthplace of three great religious traditions
of the world, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, The Jain religion and
its philosophy, though concocted in response to the elaborate hierarchical
Vedic practices, has become one of the essential spiritual traditions
in the South Asian religious fabric. Jainism is one of the oldest
living religions of India, predating recorded history as referenced
in Hindu scriptures. It is an original system, quite distinct and
independent of other systems of Indian philosophy.
The Jains
have always formed an integral and one of the most prominent parts
of the Indian community. It is now clear to all serious students of
Indian civilization that an understanding of it would be incomplete
without a proper recognition of the important place, which the Jain
culture occupies within it. Scholars for a long time believed that
Mahavira founded Jainism in the 6th or the 7th
century B.C. The researches of the late professor Jacobie and other
Jainologists now happily remove this wrong notion. They of course
claim that the Jain religion and philosophy have been existent from
the beginningless time and that Mahavira, the alleged founder of Jainism
was but the last in the series of the Omniscient Teachers who had
held up the Jain doctrines from time to time in the ages past. That
the Jain religion is one of the oldest religions in the world can
be safely asserted now.
Jains
believe in reincarnation, the philosophy of karma, hell and heaven
as a punishment or reward for one's deeds, liberation (Nirvana or
Moksha) of the self from life's misery of birth and death in a way
similar to the Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. Though there are multiple
similarities in these South Asian religions, there are some major
portions of the belief system that remain unique to each religion.
For instance, the fundamental concepts of Jain philosophy are very
distinct. It believes that universe and all its entities such as soul
and matter are eternal (there is no beginning or ends). From eternity
the soul is ignorant of its true nature and on account of its ignorance,
karma is attached to the soul. It is due to karma that the soul migrates
from one life to another and suffers.
Jainism also shows the path of liberation in a very unique way. It
provides a logical explanation of our suffering and illustrates a
rational path to eliminate this suffering. It states that the knowledge
of reality and the realization of the true self lead the worldly soul
to liberation (Moksha or Nirvana).
In the Jain path of spiritual progress, the whole truth cannot be
observed from a single viewpoint. To understand the true nature of
reality, it is essential to acknowledge the multiple perspectives
of each entity, situation or idea. We must strive to be open-minded
and embrace the thoughts and vantage points of other human beings,
religions and philosophies.
The ultimate goal of Jainism is for the soul to achieve liberation
through understanding and realization. This is accomplished through
the supreme ideals in the Jain religion of nonviolence, equal kindness
and reverence for all forms of life, non-possessiveness and through
the philosophy of non-absolutism (Anekantvad). Above all, these ideals
translate into a religion of love and compassion not only towards
human beings but also towards all other forms of true life.
"What will be the
condition of the Indian Sanskrit literature if the contributions
of the Jains are removed? The more I study the Jain literature
the more happy and wonderstruck I am."
-Dr Hertel, Germany
Top
|
