For the past 2,600 years the Jains have shared with Hindus both the Indian subcontinent and many beliefs. However, this ancient, peace-loving religion, which has around four million followers, is distinct in several regards: its overarching concern for the universe; its belief in the spiritual equality of humans, animals and plants; and its extreme asceticism. Jains are all vegetarians; they shun worldly goods, sex and violence, and follow a path laid out in the sixth century BCE by an Indian prince-hermit named Mahavira.
Jains do not believe in God or gods, though they do hold that there are jinas, or pure souls, and tirthankaras, inspired teachers. Some would argue that they are atheists. They do, however, believe in the immortal soul. Their monk-like spiritual practices are based on a profound concern for the welfare of every living being in the universe—human, animal and plant—and for the health of the universe itself. They share with Hindus and Buddhists a belief in the cycle of samsara, but interpret it solely in terms of self-help. There are no gods to lend a helping hand.
Three rights Every Jain is responsible for his own efforts in adhering to the supreme principle of his faith, which is non-violence, and to the three “jewels”: right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct. In order to live according to these principles, Jains take five specific vows—or mahavratas. These are commitments to: non-violence; eschewing possessions; always telling the truth; never stealing; and sexual restraint.
Celibacy is regarded as the ideal state. The vows of the many Jain celibate monks and nuns are placed on a higher level than those of lay people who do marry and have children but who are committed to lifelong fidelity to their partner and an avoidance of sex for pleasure.
“I bow down to those who have reached omniscience in the flesh and teach the road to everlasting life in the liberated state. I bow down to those who have attained perfect knowledge and liberated their souls of all karma. I bow down to those who have experienced self-realisation of their souls through self-control and self-sacrifice. I bow down to those who understand the true nature of soul and teach the importance of the spiritual over the material. I bow down to those who strictly follow the five great vows of conduct and inspire us to live a virtuous life.”
Namaskara Sutra: daily Jain prayer
Jains believe that the first four of their vows were laid down by Parshva, the twenty-third tirthankara of their faith in this age. There have been other ages and many other tirthankaras, some of them women. There is some historical evidence that Parshva existed in the ninth century BCE and was of royal blood. The fifth vow was included at the behest of Mahavira—literally “great hero”—who according to the Jain tradition lived between 599 and 527 BCE.
Following the death of his parents King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala, Mahavira (then Prince Vardhamana) abandoned the royal palace at the age of 30 and lived for the next 12 and a half years without possessions in search of enlightenment. When he finally found it, he spent the rest of his life teaching others how to attain it, collecting his wisdom in the sacred book known as the Agamas. On his death, Mahavira had achieved moksha—another concept shared with Hindus.
Fasting
Fasting plays a more prominent role in Jain spirituality than in other faiths and is undertaken more by women than men. Fasting purifies the body and the mind, in line with Mahavira’s example and his emphasis on renunciation and asceticism. He is said to have abstained from food for six months at a time—a practice monks emulate to this day. Some take it a step further and fast for a whole year. It is not enough for a Jain simply not to eat. They must also stop wanting to eat. If they continue to desire food, the fast is regarded as pointless.
With their concern for the universe, Jains have a more developed map of the afterlife than Hindus, and describe a series of layers. In the center is the “Middle World,” where humans must strive for enlightenment. Above it are two layers—one where liberated beings such as Mahavira live in perpetuity in a world without beginning (hence no creator god) or end, and one that is more of a staging post on the eternal journey to final enlightenment. Below it are two more layers—a series of seven hells, where beings are tormented by demons and by each other but from which they can escape, and finally a basement that holds the lowest forms of life forever.
Jain influence Jainism has historically struggled in the shadow of Hinduism. When Hinduism is strong—for instance in the nineteenth century, as part of the resistance to colonization—Jainism has been weakened. Two distinct strands of the faith exist today—the Digambara Jains and the Svetambara Jains. The first are more austere. Their monks never wear clothes. They also take a more traditionalist line on, for example, the role of women, who, they say, can only reach final enlightenment after they have been reborn as men.
There is a powerful literary culture in Jainism. Jains founded some of India’s oldest libraries. They are also found in disproportionate numbers among the country’s wealthy elite. Though they constitute only 0.2 percent of the population, they pay more than 20 percent of the tax revenue. Among those influenced by Jain ideas of non-violence was the independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.
Jain vegetarianism
Jains are vegetarians, but because of their abhorrence of violence toward all living things (including plants), they do not consume root vegetables such as potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots and turnips. They will, however, eat rootstocks—turmeric, ginger and peanuts, for example. Aubergines are avoided because of the large number of seeds in them: a seed is seen as a carrier of budding life. Strict Jains do not eat food that has been left overnight, such as yogurt, and have their meals before sunset. The narrow practices of the Jain kitchen are found most markedly in Gujarati cuisine.
The point of worship Jains insist that Mahavira was not the founder of their religion, but the last day on which he taught is recorded each year in the Jain version of the Hindu feast of Diwali. The other great feast, on which Jains attend their temples, is Paryushana, the birth of Mahavira; this is the culmination of eight days of fasting, repentance and rituals.
Since they do not have gods, and reject the notion of Mahavira being their founder, it may be asked why Jains worship at all. It is partly because of the influence of the wider Hindu culture in which they operate—though Jain rituals tend to be more restrained and austere. What the Jains do worship is the ideal of perfection achieved by Mahavira, Parshva and all other tirthankaras (none of whom can be verified historically). All who participate aspire to become pure souls.
the condensed idea
The world gets in the way of enlightenment
| timeline | |
|---|---|
| 9th century BCE | Life of Parshva |
| 599 BCE | Birth of Mahavira |
| 527 BCE | Death of Mahavira |
| 350 BCE | Famine kills many Jain monks |
| 19th century CE | Low point in Jain numbers |