Jainism is certainly more complex and in-depth than Discordianism, so in this intro. I want to be able to just outline the basics, going into greater detail in later articles. Jain Dharma has been with us since the 6th century BCE, founded in India through the teachings of Mahavira. There is plenty of history to discuss, as well as a significant influence on the religious and cultural ideas that have since developed in India (most notably- Buddhism). So put that drumstick down and pay attention.
Let us start with something simple…
The Universe
Everything in the cosmos is uncreated and eternal. The universe will never cease to be, and there was never a time when it did not exist. All things are infinite, but not all things are the same. All of reality is composed of two key components- jiva and ajiva.
Jiva is the immortal substance of life. It is what resides in all living things. Ajiva is the substance of physical, nonliving things- time, motion, space, rest, matter, and energy. These five kinds of ajiva, as well as jiva, make up the Six Substances of the universe. Since jiva is eternal it goes on after the death of it’s physical shell to be reborn in another form of living thing. The different links of this cycle are based on the jiva’s level of karma.
Karma
We are composed of jiva and ajiva. Our life is mixed in with a material body, with senses that allow us to interact with the world. It is through this interaction with ajiva that our jiva accumulates and produces karma. Karma adheres to our jiva (literally through things called Karman particles) through the senses, through ajiva- so it is inevitable that all life that interacts with the world will accumulate karma.
Karma comes in two flavours- punya and pap. Punya karma is the result of good deeds- of compassion, generosity, kindness, etc. When jiva accumulates a lot of this kind of karma, the result will be a greater, more advanced living being in its next reincarnation. Pap karma is just the opposite; it adheres to your jiva as the result of bad actions- violence, lies, promiscuity, alcohol, etc. As you may have guessed, if jiva has a lot of pap karma it will be reincarnated as a lesser, baser form of life and will have to spend more time trying to get to a position where it can break from ajiva.
Moksha and Samsara
So long as jiva remains linked ajiva, we suffer. Jiva independent of ajiva is blissful, peaceful, and calm, a state completely unlike anything we can imagine. But while it remains in contact with the physical forms of our bodies, covering itself in karma, it cannot achieve that potential. All life inevitably suffers- through death, loss, tragedy, hunger, pain, sadness, and no matter how hard we try we cannot fix it or run from it. Suffering is part of life, but life does not have to be this way.
Samsara describes this seemingly endless cycle of death and rebirth, tracing jiva through all of its bodies, becoming more or less complex depending on its karma. It is a rather depressing picture- an endless loop of inevitably painful experiences. But if our jiva has enough punya karma we will come back as some animal that is able to break this cycle.
Liberation from samsara, where jiva finally severs the connection with ajiva, is called moksha (the same term is used in Hinduism). After achieving moksha the jiva finds itself in the highest state in the universe- Siddhashila- a state of stillness and of peace, where we become our true selves. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? So… how do we get there?
Jain Ethics and Practices
What Jains practice depends on what they want out of life. If you do not wish to become a monk and actively pursue the quest for moksha, your practices will not be strictly ascetic. The Jain laity try to reduce suffering for all life as well as do good deeds. This grants them good karma, and assures them that they will be reincarnated as something worthwhile. Jain monks and nuns abstain from all worldly delights and interactions in hopes that this life, or one soon after, will be their last. This ascetic life is the only way to shed themselves entirely of karma. Only by abstaining from interactions with the world, both through mind and body, will they be able to avoid karma, and achieve moksha. Both monks and laity follow five vows, or principles, through their daily lives:
- Ahimsa- Non-violence. Jains have respect for all forms of life, and act in a way that avoids violence in thought, word, and deed. This means avoiding physical violence, as well as thoughts of harm or verbal abuse- both directly and indirectly. To this end, Jains are strictly vegetarian, and some even choose to become vegan. Ahimsa is the foremost principle of Jainism, an essential part of their moral outlook and daily life, and one of the foundations of Mahatma Ghandi’s non-violent protests. Some Jains go so far as to filter their drinking water and wear a mask to avoid inhaling miniscule forms of life. Some are often seen gently sweeping the path infront of them with a straw broom, to avoid stepping on any insects. They are not completely passive, as they believe they have a right to defend their lives, society, religion, family, and property with force if it is absolutely necessary.
- Satya- Truth. Jains avoid falsehood, they try not to lie or cheat, either through themselves or through others. If telling the truth would end up causing harm to someone, it is recommended to keep silent and say nothing, in accordance with ahimsa. Satya also means to realize and understand the True nature of reality, and acting in accordance with it. Understanding this greater truth allows one to become more in tune with oneself, and to better realize their potential.
- Asteya- Non-stealing. One should not steal or otherwise acquire things illegally, nor approve of others that do.
- Brahmacharya- Chastity. For the priest class this means total abstinence. For the laity it means being sexually monogamous to one’s spouse and not engaging in premarital sex. Even if one has a spouse, it is recommended that a Jain does not indulge excessively, for the purpose of brahmacharya is to prevent a waste of energy and to cultivate a sense of serenity.
- Aparigraha- Non-attachment. Jains should limit their possessions to what is important, what they need in day-to-day life. All excess should be donated or otherwise used for the betterment of the community, food items should be kept to a minimum and dispersed as needed. This allows Jains to see past the delusion of security in a material world; that material wealth can make someone feel full and complete. Jains fill their lives with happiness and contentment from within themselves, not from without. Those of the Digambar tradition go so far as to forsake clothing entirely.
Many other codes of conduct and rules follow from these five vows, specifically 18 papsthanaks (sins) that should be avoided. In addition to those described above, they include: anger, arrogance, illusion, greed, attachment, hate, arguing, accusation, gossip, criticism, likes and dislikes, malice, and wrong belief. Garlic and onions are avoided in the Jain diet as it is believed that they cause some of these attitudes.
Another essential part of achieving moksha as well as cultivating peace within oneself is meditation, or samayik. In order to shed karma a Jain must not only abstain from physical activities, but also close his/her mind from the senses and from itself. Meditation thus focuses the mind on a singular thing, usually the repetition of a specific mantra designed to calm the mind into stillness.
Jains also pray at least once a day. These prayers are sometime directed at the Tirthankars, people who have achieved moksha through asceticism and have spread the resulting, enlightened knowledge amongst their communities, thus creating Jain canon. Every day most Jains bow and recite the Navkar Mantra, their primary mantra:
Namah Arihantanam : I bow to the Arihantas (the perfect human beings)
Namah Siddhhanam : I bow to the Siddhhas (liberated bodiless souls)
Namah Ayariyanam : I bow to the Acharyas (masters and the heads of congregations)
Namah Uvjhayanam : I bow to the Upadhyayas (spiritual teachers)
Namah Loye Savva Saahunam: I bow to all the Sadhus (spiritual practitioners) in the world
Aiso Panch Namahkkaro : Worshiping all these five
Savva Paav Panasano : destroys all sins and obstacles
Manglanancha Savvesim : Among all that is auspicious
Padhmam Havei Mangalam : this “Navkar Mantra” is the foremost.
Divisions
There are two major sects in Jainism that surfaced around 500 AD- the Shvetambar and Digambar. The Digambar monks, as I remarked earlier, do not wear clothing as they believe it objectionable to the aparigraha vow. They also do not believe that woman can obtain moksha, and only recite the first five lines of the Navkar Mantra. Shvetambars, the larger sect, wear white, seamless clothes and recite the full nine lines of the Navkar. They believe woman can achieve Moksha, and that one of the Tirthankars, Mallinath, was in fact a woman. Shvetambars also believe, in contrast with the Digambars that the final Tirthankar, Mahavira, had a wife and daughter. They do not seem to disagree on any other particular philosophical or practical point.
How we will Practice
During February we will be adhering to most of the five vows (the possibility of celibacy did not receive rave reviews), as well as others described in the Twelve Vows of Laypersons. We will follow vegetarian/vegan diets as well as practice daily prayers and meditations. We will also read various selections from the Jain Sutras as well as secondary sources on Jain philosophy. We are in the process of trying to find a Jain community within Vancouver. With any luck we will be able to find a center to meditate and discuss Jainism with some genuine practitioners and monks. The ascetic life certainly won’t be easy for us, living in the first world and being complete geeks, but I am already clearing my room of unnecessary junk, and Andrew is selling old DVDs. We also have full time responsibilities, so we are not trying to emulate the monk/nun ideal to achieve moksha by the end of the month.
As always, we shall do our utmost. This is going to be quite the switch from last month.