Transcript Document 7431302

By: Lily Wang
Brief Timeline
 5th century BCE - Life of Mahavira, last Tirthankaras
 c. 4th-5th century CE - Umasvati codifies Jain texts in
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the Tattvartha Sutra.
5th century - Schism occurs, forming the Svetambara
and Digambara sects.
9th-11th century - Digambara Jainism is frequently
supported by south Indian royalty.
12th century - Hemacandra, a Svetambara monk, is
tutor to the rulers Siddharaja and his nephew
Kumarapala.
17th century - The iconoclastic Sthanakvasis sect
emerges.
18th-19th century - Decline of image-worshipping
ascetic communities.
Origin and Distribution
 3rd century BCE - A Jain
community forms in the
trading center of
Mathura.
 21st century Revival of
asceticism and
development of mystical
sects. Many Jains emigrate
to East Africa, the United
Kingdom and North
America.
Similarities with Buddhism
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Tolerant other religions
Karma
India
Around the same time
Same backgound story for founder or prophet
Social equality
Nirvana
Liberation
Non-violvence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cASZK6Qgp3g
Fundamental Principles
The Three Jewels of Jainism
 The aim of Jain life is to achieve liberation of the soul.
 This is done by following the Jain ethical code, or to
put it simply, living rightly by following the three
jewels of Jain ethics.
 There are three parts to this: right faith, right
knowledge and right conduct. The first two are very
closely connected.
Fundamental Principles
Right faith - Samyak darshana
 seeing things properly
 You can't achieve this unless you are determined to find the
truth, and distinguish it from untruth.
Right knowledge - Samyak jnana
 accurate and sufficient knowledge of the real universe
 proper knowledge of the Jain scriptures.
 pure soul; a soul that is free from attachment and desire
 naturally free themselves from attachment and desire
Right conduct - Samyak charitra
 Avoid doing harmto living things and freeing yourself from
attachment and other impure attitudes and thoughts.
 motivated and able to achieve right conduct.
The Five Principles (Vows):
Non-violence (Ahimsa):
 complete avoidance of harm
 All living beings are equal
Truthfulness (Satya):
 to always speak the truth in a harmless manner
Non-stealing (Asteya):
 this also includes avoidance of greed and exploitation
Chastity (Brahmacharya):
 monogamy and faithfulness are important
Detachment from material things (Aparigraha):
 to detach from people, places, and material things.
Holidays
Mahavira Jayanti
 Mar 28
 The birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankar and the
"founder" of modern Jainism
Paryushana
 Sep 5
 The most important Jain festival, it consists of
eight (Swetambara) or ten (Digambara) days of
intensive fasting and repentance. A time of reflection.
Diwali
 Nov 5
 Diwali, the festival of lights, is the most popular of all the festivals from
South Asia. It is an occasion for celebrations by Hindus as well as Jains
and Sikhs.
No Founder
 The truth has been revealed at
different times by a tirthankara
 Tirthankaras accomplished the
highest spiritual goal of existence
and then teach others how to
achieve it.
 In what Jains call the "present
age" there have been 24
tirthankaras - although there is
little evidence for the existence of
most of these.
Tirthankaras
 appears in the world to teach the
way to moksha, or liberation.
 not an incarnation of the God.
 great omniscient teachers who lived at various times in
man's cultural history.
 accomplished the highest spiritual goal of existence Each
new tirthankara preaches the same basic Jain philosophy
 24 tirthankaras during this present age
 Svetambara Jains believe that tirthankaras can be men or
women, but Digamber Jains believe that women can't be
tirthankaras
Tirthankaras
Parshva:
 four of the five Jain principles
Mahavira
 Not the founder of Jainism
 world's most recent tirthankara (and will be the last one in this age).
 born as Vardhamana in north east India in 599 BCE
 a prince, the son of King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala
 live the life of an ascetic, or a sadhana
 extremely long, arduous periods of fasting and meditation.
 attained Kevalnyan, enlightenment
 taught the path he had discovered to other seekers.
 Mahavira added the principle of chastity
 established a community of 14,000 monks and 36,000 nuns before he died.
Political Influence
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
 a Jain
 some of his ideas on politics come from
Jainism (from the 5 principles)
 pioneered satyagraha (truthfulness).
 defined as resistance to tyranny through mass civil
disobedience, a philosophy firmly founded upon ahimsa or
total nonviolence.
 helped India to gain independence
 inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the
world.
Economic Influence
 set a limit to one’s own needs and whatever surplus
one may accumulate beyond these needs should be
donated to charities.
 keeps in check the concentration of wealth and paves
the way for its wide and more even distribution.
 the growing gulf between the rich and the poor can be
peacefully bridged.
 the fair distribution of wealth is essential.
 business dealings must be conducted in the nonacquisitive spirit of aparigraha.
Literature
Agamas
 based on Mahavira teachings.
 orally compiled by his disciples into various Sutras
(texts)
 orally passed on from teachers (acaryas or gurus) to
the disciples for several centuries.
 The scholars date the composition of Jain agamas at
around 6th to 3rd century BCE.
Symbols
 symbol of the seventh Tirthankara. In
the Svetambar Jain tradition, it is also
one of the symbols of the ashramangalas (Eight Auspicious Signs).
 a wheel on the palm of a hand,
symbolizing Ahimsa (non-violence).
 Triratna signify the three jewels of
Jainism
Women
 religion of religious equality, devoted to recognising
the rights of all living creatures
The sectarian divide
 The Difambara Jain sect believes that women cannot achieve liberation
without being reborn as men first. The Svetambara sect disagrees.
Nakedness
 nakedness is an essential element of the road to liberation.
 Mahavira himself, set an example of total nudity that Digambaras
believe monks should follow.
 This ban on female nakedness is partly intended to protect both men
and women:
 cause men to experience sexual
 feel ashamed of being naked.
 prevent the disruptive consequences of allowing women to walk around
naked.
Women
Ahimsa and women
 Digambaras also believe that women are inherently
himsic (harmful).
 menstrual blood kills micro-organisms living in the
female body.
 female body is less non-violent than a male body
Impurity
 menstrual blood is a sign of impurity.
Attachment
 nature is to care for children and other dependants
Science
 universe is uncreated, real, eternal, and infinite
with no beginning and end.
 the matter is never destroyed; it only undergoes
changes into different states or modes. This is
the law of nature.
 taking meals before sunset in
defense of the vow of non-violence.
 after sunset many tiny living
beings come into existence in the
atmosphere.
Bibliography
 BBC - Religion - Jainism. Web. 22 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/jainism/>.
 Breuilly, Elizabeth, Joanne O'Brien, and Martin Palmer. "Jain Life:Beliefs and
Practices." Religion of the World. Ed. Martin E. Marty. New York: Transedition
Limited and Fernleigh, 1997. 124-25. Print.
 Google Images. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.google.ca/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi>.
 Jainism - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism>.
 Jainism. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. <http://www.pujas.com/Jainism-History.html>.
 Jainism. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.jainworld.com/jainbooks/Books/Jainism.htm>.
 Timeline of Jainism - Religion Facts. Web. 19 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.religionfacts.com/jainism/timeline.htm>.