Jainism emerged in 6thcentury bce india, the same time buddhism was developing. Jain philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. It is a city so holy that not even priests can sleep there. Religion cosmogony origin of the universe nature of godcreator view of human nature view of good and evil view of salvation view of after life practices and rituals celebrations and festivals week 2 hinduis m and jainism hinduism. Since gautama buddha, founder of buddhism, belonged to the same region of magadha as mahavira the 24th tirthankar of jainism, and because both were contemporaries, it was assumed erroneously that jainism was contemporary of buddhism or was an off. All souls who have achieved the natural state of infinite bliss, infinite knowledge kevala jnana, infinite power and infinite perception are regarded as god in jainism. All sects agree that teaching was first transmitted orally, however, the two main sects of jainism, svetambara and digambara disagree on which scriptures are authoritative, or most important. Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the universe loka and its. World religions study guide midterm flashcards quizlet. The faith is named for the jinas, spiritual conquerors who have achieved liberation and perfection. Introduction to jainism, theory of karma, the six dravyas and more. Online shopping for jainism other religions from a great selection at books store. Jainism is a religion and philosophy native to india founded in about the 6th century bc by the sage mahavira. Jainism lays heavy emphasis on nonviolence ahimsa and the believers of this religion, whether a monk or a householder, follow a very strict, well disciplined life.
Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Jain cosmology has several distinguishing features that mark it out from other indian notions of the universe, time and the human place within it. Jain fundamentals jain rituals jain scriptures jain compassion. Rather, there are many religious texts the most wellknown of which are the agams that include transcriptions of the oral history provided to us by tirthankars and jain teachers, as well as scholarly commentary on the interpretation of the religion. Fundamental beliefs the universe jainism has a unique view of the universe. Nothing that exists now was ever created, nor will it be destroyed. Samantabhadra chhah dhala of daulatram atmasiddhi of shri. Jainism believes that universe and all its substances are eternal everlasting. They are humans who achieve enlightenment via asceticism. The agam sutras show great reverence for all forms of life and strict codes of vegetarianism, asceticism, nonviolence, and opposition to war. The holy teachers are called the jina, and they are the epitome.
The holy book of jainism is a collection of texts known as agam literature or the agam sutras. Decay and origin refer respectively to the disappearing of one state of soul. Mar 17, 2015 jainism is an indian religion that emphasizes complete nonviolence and asceticism. According to jains, the entire concept of nityanigoda undermines the concept of karma, as these beings clearly would not have had prior opportunity to perform any karmically meaningful. Jains see these texts, which are the transcriptions of lord mahavirs sermons, as sacred documents. Long jainism evokes images of monks wearing facemasks to protect insects and micoorganisms from being inhaled. Jains believe that the universe we perceive really exists and is not an illusion. Jainworld is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of jain tradition of wisdom, compassion, equality, brotherhood, universal wellbeing and spirituality. Jains believe that the universe is without beginning or end. Mar 20, 2017 the book shows how buddhism and jainism share the basic concepts of karma, rebirth, and liberation with hinduism while giving them their own hue, and how they differ from the hindu tradition in their understanding of the role of the vedas, the caste system, and ritualism in religious life. Jain texts describe the shape of the universe as similar to a man standing with. Jainism is properly the name of one of the religious traditions that have their origin in the indian subcontinent. These texts are the holy scriptures of the jain religion. Unlike monotheistic traditions, the jains do not have a unique holy book that characterises their faith.
According to jainism, nigodas are lowest form of extremely microscopic beings having momentary life spans, living in colonies and pervading the entire universe. According to jain doctrine, the universe and its constituentssoul, matter, space, time, and principles of motionhave always existed. Jainism differs from many religions in that there is no one scripture or holy book that is central to our faith. For jainism worship is a means to personal spiritual and karmic development, it is not actually worship for exultation or devotion to any particular entity. The holy teachers are called the jina, and they are the epitome of teaching for all jains, especially the jina mahavira. History, society, philosophy and practice agustin paniker on. So he could be called a reformer of the jain religion or rejunevator of the faith which was already and had a long tradition. Jainism begins with a serious concern for the human soul in its relationship with the laws governing existence in the universe,with other living beings, and to its own future state in eternity. The top level, the realm of the jinas is reserved for liberated souls. In india, they share this feature with the buddhists. Agams are the jain texts which are based on the discourse. The universe for jains is an elaborate system that shares features with other indian. Jainism does not support belief in a creator deity. World chart week2 religion week 2 hinduis m and jainism.
Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley dating back to 3000 b. Jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta, the quran or the bible. Jainism traditionally known as jain dharma, is an ancient indian religion. Sep 10, 2009 the universe jain beliefs about the universe.
Religious cosmology is an explanation of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe. All of creation is one reality they call brahman fisher, 2014, p. The kalpa sutra is the holy book of the of jainism religion. It is read in the eight day long festival called paryushan posted by chris, emily, and kelly at 5. Jainpedia themes principles writings on the universe. Comparative development evolutionary origin evolutionary psychology. No divine or supernatural beings are credited or responsible with these. In jainism, knowledge regarding the universe and salvation is very important because it maintains that salvation of the soul depends on understanding its predicament. Jainism is a religion and philosophy native to india founded in.
A few centuries after mahavirs nirvana, the jain religious order sangha grew more and more complex. In this process, the universe expands, cools, and evolves over and over again in cycles. Jain texts propound that the universe consists of many eternal lokas realms of. Jainism, indian religion teaching a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through. The legendary accounts of mahaviras life preserved by the jain scriptures provide. Translated from the prakrit by hermann jacobi, 1884 from. But the religious jains will do everything possible to prevent hurting any being. Jainism is one of the three most ancient indian religious traditions still in.
The holy book of jainism is known as the kalpa sutra or sutras. Many jains worship at temple everyday, while others do so much less frequently. Hindus value many sacred writings as opposed to one holy book. Shah jain study center of north carolina raleigh 401 farmstead drive, cary nc 275115631 9194690956 and fax. We have certain scriptures which are considered as very sacred. The jain path of purification was, in addition to the previous work, one of the very first books of its kind to be authored by a jain for the education of those unfamiliar with the jain worldview and way of life. Jainism explores the mysteries of the universe site title. Shatkhandagam and dhavala ratna karanda sravakachara of a. Lord mahavir, popularly regarded as the founder of jainism, was the last of the tirthankars who flourished from 599 to 527 b. While the majority of pilgrimage places in india are sacred to the followers of hinduism, there are numerous holy sites of other religions such as jainism, buddhism and islam.
Antiquity of jainism professor mahavir saran jain lord mahavira is not the founder of jainism. On the whole, the diverse jain religious groups agree on cosmology. In fact, the householders are supposed to evolve to the monkhood in the later stages of life as was the case with the hinduism in the vedic era. The height of the universe one rajju length consists of innumerable yojanas. Jain cosmology is the description of the shape and functioning of the universe loka and its constituents such as living beings, matter, space, time etc. A glance at its contents will reveal the fact that glasenapp has covered almost all the salient features of jainism. This quality, however, is subdued by the souls association with karmic matter. Instead they have a body of holy writings or scriptures. This page provides information about important jain texts. Jains worship in temples which contain images of the 24 tirthankaras. And the souls predicament is based in the makeup of the universe, which is composed of both eternal souls and infinite particles of matter. In jainism, godliness is said to be the inherent quality of every soul. It is perhaps the most comprehensive and concise book of its kind, and few books on jainism are as.
The jain literature which was complied by ganadharas and srutkevlis is known as agam literature. In the fourteen rajju high universe, the lower universe has a height of seven, and the upper universe has a height of seven. These cycles give off isotropic background radiation, which was discovered by jain scientists in 1964. Instead they have a collection of holy writings and scriptures. Followers of jainism are called jains, and there are about 4 million worldwide. Week 2 religion chart hinduism jainism week 2 cosmogony. Apr 21, 2015 jains believe that the universe and everything in it is eternal.
Because of their belief in the need to overcome attachment, it is a central tenet of each of jainisms denominations that women must be reincarnated as men or transmigrate into male bodies in order to experience spiritual liberation and get off the wheel of rebirth. Essay about jainism 2375 words 10 pages jainism jainism is one of the oldest practicing religions, although, today jainism appears in its present day form in the areas of northeastern india, just as it did thousands of years ago. Or of jains sweeping the ground in front of them to ensure that living creatures are not inadvertently crushed. Because of their belief in the need to overcome attachment, it is a central tenet of each of jainism s denominations that women must be reincarnated as men or transmigrate into male bodies in order to experience spiritual liberation and get off the wheel of rebirth. All the substances change or modify their forms continuously. Worshipers look at its thousands of statues through mirrors in order no to insult the gods and goddesses with a direct gaze. It believes the universe is uncreated, selfexistent, beginningless, eternal, and infinite. The universe is eternal, matter and souls being equally uncreated. Hindus are in a similar position, even though they have the vedas, which can be considered the ultimate source of teaching. Jain texts describe the shape of the universe as similar to a man standing with legs apart and arm resting on his waist. Previous forms give way to new ones without loosing their own inherent qualities. In between the two parts, there is the middle universe having a height of 99, 040 yojanas. The universes history contains eras which are comporable to a spinning wheel.
A belief system about the universe that covers its origin, structure and parts, and. This is usually in written texts on cosmology but visual art has also been an important. Second, there are two kinds of space within the jain universe world space and nonworld space. There are seven levels of heaven in jain cosmology. Jains are very caring over the environment, they wear masks over their faces to prevent inhaling of any small insects and they carry. Rajchandra kalpasutra, acharangacomplete translation searchable texts. The present book is one of the best and stimulating books ever written by scholars on jainism. Jain monks and nuns were not allowed to possess religious books as part of their. Jain cosmology considers the universe as an uncreated entity that has existed since infinity with neither beginning nor end. Next, repetition and symmetry are crucial elements.
The texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the agamas, and are the canonical literature the scriptures of svetambara jainism mahaviras disciples compiled his. Jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta,the quran or the bible. The primary sacred texts, known as the vedas, were composed around 1500 b. Jainism believes that universe and all its substances or entities are eternal. Oxford university press usa publishes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, childrens books, business books, dictionaries, reference books, journals, text books and more.
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