Project Focus Area : Ecology & Jainism

Although, the project intent to cover a wide spectrum of area concerning the scientific research on Jainism; but Ecology, its relationship with Jainism and its impact will be one of the major focus area for research. This is explained as follows.

The religious traditions of India are rich and various, offering diverse theological and practical perspectives on the human condition. Jainism, along with Hinduism comprises the oldest continually observed religious traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Both have spread beyond the subcontinent to virtually all parts of the globe, though most adherents to these faiths claim Indian ancestry. It is important that scholars and religious leaders explore Hindu and Jain literature, history, sociology, ritual and asceticism in light of the current ecological crisis.

The Jain tradition has existed in tandem with Hinduism in India since at least 800 BC. Whereas the Hindu faith looks to the Vedas for texts and rituals and to the Brahman caste for religious leadership, the Jains developed their own sacred texts (including the Acaranga Sutra, ca. 500 BC) and follow the authority of itinerant monks and nuns who wander throughout India preaching the essential principles and practices of the faith.

Hinduism includes both monistic and dualistic theologies, with several variations of each. Jains ascribe to the belief in plural life forms populating a storied universe with hell beings at the base, humans and animals in the middle region, with gods and goddesses in the upper or heavenly domains. The goal within Jainism is to ascend to the Siddha Loka, a world beyond heaven and earth, where all the liberated souls dwell eternally in a state of energy, consciousness and bliss. Although this goal utterly removes one from all worldly entanglements, the path to reach this highest attainment entails great care in regard to how one lives in relationship to all the other living beings that surround one in the earthly realm. Hence, from the aspect of practice, Jainism holds some interesting potential for ecological thinking, though its final goal transcends earthly (or earthy) concerns.

At the core of Jain faith lies five vows that dictate the daily life of Jain laypersons, monks and nuns. These five vows, which inspired and influenced Mahatma Gandhi, are nonviolence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), not stealing (asteya), sexual restraint (brahmacharya) and nonpossession (aparigraha). One adheres to these vows in order to minimize harm to all possible life forms. In Jainism, life is arranged hierarchically according to the number of senses a particular form possesses. For instance, life particles (jiva) in earth, water, fire, air, microorganisms and plants each experience the world through the sense of touch. Worms add the sense of taste. Crawling bugs can feel, taste and smell. Flying insects add seeing. Higher-level animals, including fish and mammals, can feel, taste, smell, see, hearand think.

For observant Jain, to hurt any being results in the thickening of one's karma, obstructing advancement toward liberation. To reduce karma and prevent its further accrual, Jains avoid activities associated with violence and follow a vegetarian diet. The advanced monks and nuns will sweep their path to avoid harming insects and also work at not harming even one-sensed beings such as bacteria and water.

The worldview of the Jainism might be characterized as a bio-cosmology. Due to their perception of the "livingness" of the world, Jainism holds an affinity for the ideals of the environmental movement. The Jain vows can easily be reinterpreted in an ecological fashion. The practice of nonviolence in the Jain context fosters an attitude of respect for all life forms. The observance of truthfulness prompts an investigation of the interrelatedness of things; a truthful person cannot easily dismiss the suffering caused by uncontrolled waste. The vow of not stealing can be used to reflect on the world's limited resources and prompt one's to think of the needs of future generations. Sexual restraint might help minimize population growth. The discipline of non-possession gives one pause to think twice before indulging in the acquisition of material goods, one of the root causes of current ecological concerns. The monks and nuns, due to the heightened nature of their daily spiritual practice, leave little or no imprint on the broader ecological system. Jain laypeople, due to their care and attention to what in other philosophical traditions is none other than inert materiality, can use their experiences of applying nonviolent principles with a new, ecological intention in mind.

The Jainism is particularly well suited to reconsider their tradition in an ecological light, particularly because of their history of advocacy against meat eating and animal sacrifice, as well as their success at developing business areas that avoid overt violence. However, some challenges remain. One expression of environmentalism involves tree-planting projects. Though Jain laypeople might participate in such activities, their nuns and monks most likely would not plant trees because of the harm caused to the earth in the digging process. Another expression of environmentalism in India has been to establish forest preserves on property surrounding Jain temple sites. However, this generally requires blocking access to prevent collection of fodder, resulting in a further impoverishment of struggling peasants. In addition to these questions of organic and social life, the extensive involvement of Jains in heavy industries in India raises issues of appropriate economic activity and environmental health. These instances demonstrate the complexity of effectively applying ecological principles in a religious context.

Jainism thus offers unique resources for the creation of an earth ethic. The bio-cosmology of Jainism presents a worldview that stresses the interrelatedness of life forms. Its attendant nonviolent ethic might easily be extended to embrace an earth ethics. Both traditions include a strong emphasis on asceticism that might discourage some adherents from placing too much value on earthly concerns, but, as we have seen, Jainism contain concepts that can lead to the enhancement of core human-earth relations.

Thus it is obvious that ecology is one of the key research areas that need to be addressed and the RISSIOS intents to focus on this area along with other key important areas.

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