JAINISM

Lecture by Clinton Bennett, PhD

 

JAINISM - 2,500 years old. 6 million adherants
  • Mahavira (circa 599-527) often called founder but Jains believe that he was the last of a series of 24 JINAS/TIRTHANKARAS (conquerors/enlightened beings) "crossed-over."
  • Not military conquerors but conquerors over false awareness.
  • Born NE India: Vardhamana Jnatrputra. Ksatriya. Used local dialect. (Gods swapped Brahman embryo for a Ksatriya). Mother had 14/16 dreams - indicative that Mahavira would be either a sage or a king. No class system. Note: Buddha was also a ksatriya and the sage, Asita, made an identical prediction just after the Buddha was born. Other Jain traditions resemble Buddhist - like the Buddha, Mahivira is said to have left behind him great wealth and luxury. See the account of a modern Jain monk taking his vows as told in Gita Mehta's novel A River Sutra in which the son of a multi-millionaire follows tradition by imitating Mahivira's own renunciation:
    'he left his gilded cage in a mighty procession with dancers clearing the way for elephants, horses, camels loaded with wealth to be distributed to the poor. Since then, ehenever a Jain became a monk, a procession and the distribution of charity mark his departure from the world' (p 19; London, Heinemann, 1993.) See my notes on this novel .
  • Renounced "all" physical needs/extreme asceticism at age 30/his absolute detachment for worldly desire/ambition. After 13 months, clothes torn away by branches (S); he was made 'sky-clad' (naked) by the Gods (see below for D and S). Attacked by animals. After After 12 yrs gained ENLIGHTENMENT/understood nature of universe.
  • D: Lotus Position/Divine Sound/White Umbrella. No food (S: he ate sparingly).
  • Began to preach (asked by messenger of Indra). Died at 72.
  • Universe is eternal/uncreated. Time is cyclical. Two periods of 600 million years/six subdivisions.
  • 1. Period of ascent- everything improves.
  • 2. Period of descent- everything degenerates.
  • Existence divides into sentient beings (jiva) and non-sentient matter (ajiva).
  • Jiva is the essence/soul
  • Miss-association of jiva with ajiva keeps us trapped in samsara.
  • Karma is a subtle form of matter that cleaves to jiva and masks its true nature.
  • Non-soul = motion, rest, atoms, space.
  • Elaborate diagrams represent Jain cosmos
  • Understanding/knowledge of true nature is inherent within us/can be realized unaided/omniscience can be "realized"/we are not part of samsara or ajiva but AUTONOMOUS (not part of BRTAHMAN).
  • No supernatural power/reality/no REVELATION.
  • Jains repudiate "one-sidedness": everything is essentially singular but manifests qualitative alterations.
  • Only ascetism can liberate us from samsara.

    • Vows: Ahimsa-violence characterizes samsara; Satya - truthfulness; Astya- non-stealing. Brahmacharya- chastity; Aparagrah - detachment. Vegetarian/opposed to slaughter of animals.
  • Emphasis on MONASTICISTM but much thought to developing a code of living for LAY Jains.
  • Two orders:
  • Digambaras (D)
    • renounce everything (including clothes), women must await birth as men, South/Central India
  • Shvetambaras (S) wear simple white robes, admit women, North/West India

    • Scriptures.
  • Angas (discourses of Mahavira)- 5th CE 48 texts formed into a canon.
  • 700 CE onwards- Sanskrit text explore philosophy/lay ethics. Eg Jain version of samskaras- evolve 53: 22 householder rites; 31 mark stages through cycle of ascetic renunciation, rebirth along the path to complete liberation.
  • Much Jain discourse focuses on nature of the self, and on ethics (peace, the environment).

  • Lay people can pass through 11 pratimas (stages): right views; taking vows; practicing equanimity through meditaiton; fasting on specified holy day; purity of nourishment; sexual continence by day; absolute continence; abandoning householder activities; abandoning possessions; renouncing all domestic concerns; renouncing all family ties.

    • Ritual. Mainly lay: reverence to the images of the 24 Jinas offered in Shvetambaras Temples Digambaras have images of naked man).
  • Temple: lay-controlled (domain for lay involvement).
  • Lay-Jains approach image, recite a hymn of homage (panca-namaskara-mantra): Homage to the Jinnas, Homage to the souls that have attained release Homage to the leaders of the Jain orders! Homage to the preceptors! Homage to all the Jain mendicants in the world. This fivefold salutation destroyer of sin, is of all auspicious things the most auspicious.
  • The image is bathed (symbolically)- the Name of the image’s Jina is invoked; 8 substances offered (representing religious virtures.)
  • All 24 names are invoked. Lamps are waved before images.
  • Symbolism: Jainism is rich in symbols portraying its conception of the universe; the Swastika = four levels of re-birth: celestial, human, underworld world and animal/vegetable.
  • Contemporary: many Jains, drawing on the pacifist/egalitarian ethics of their tradition, support social justice and social welfare causes and activities.

    •  

    © 2000 Clinton Bennett