Jainism And Religion

566 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Jainism religion essay

Theoretical:
Jainism believes that renunciation, or a departure from worldly concerns, is the path which ends samsara (the cycle of birth and rebirth). Moksha is, therefore, the final step of release for the soul. This detachment from the world should not be confused with a retreat from the world; it is viewed as a triumph over worldly concerns which burden the soul with karma. They also believe that we are surrounded by jiva, or eternal souls with substance and consciousness which can be visible or invisible. Thus, they hold non-violence for not just humanity, but for all jiva as a core value. To understand that “the soul is luminous, radiating peace” is to have samyak darshan, an awakening. Jainism is an internal spirituality in that they …show more content…

However, in terms of daily life there are four main roles: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Medicants (monks and nuns) are not permitted to harm any jiva, which makes daily care such as preparing food impossible. Thus medicants rely on the laity (householders) to provide them with their basic needs. Householders also provide accountability for the renunciation practices of the medicants. To become part of a medicant order is a communal endeavor in that a person must first consult their families or spouses and the order before taking renunciation vows. There are two major sects in Jainism: Digambara and Svetembara, southern and northern communities in India respectively. The Digambara sect is known for its nude practices, but it also has strict renunciation practices for transcending appetites and bodily functions and does not allow women to take renunciation vows. Svetambara is known for their white robe attire, admitting women as full medicants, and do not constrain eating, sleeping, and communicative functions of their medicants. In terms of relations with other religions and cultural groups, Jainism encourages cautious integration so as to not lose sight of core teachings, but also to acknowledge intolerance as” the product of confusing partiality with truth” (p.

Show More
Related

  • Siddhartha and Hinduism/Buddhism

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse discusses the many paths of teaching that relate to Hinduism that Siddhartha followed on his journey through life and how each path helped him realize what he wanted with his life. Siddhartha follows many teachings or paths in which to reach his spiritual destination, which at the beginning was to reach Nirvana.

    Read More

  • Exploring Jainism: Jain and Jain Renouncers

    592 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jain and Jain renouncers are very dedicated to the practice of ahimsa, or nonviolence. They are very aware of their world around them and what will happen to their karma if they harm any walks life. Jains try to eventually purge any negative karma they might have accumulated over their lifetime. Through this dedication to nonviolence, Jains work tirelessly to make sure that their intentional actions will not bring harm to anything or anyone. Many objects and traditions are connected to objects that can be found in their environment. Jains coexist with the world and wish to be a part of it and not leave a mark on it. Through their practice of ahimsa, Jains have formed a unique relationship and lifestyle practice with the world around them.

    Read More

  • Siddhartha Religion

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the world, there are five major world religions, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. In the past few classes, I have been exposed to and absorbed a tremendous amount of information on the religion of Buddhism. According to the dictionary, Buddhism is a religion of which originated in India, was founded by the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, and teaches that life is full of suffering caused by desire and that the way to end this suffering is through enlightenment that enables one to halt the endless sequence of births and deaths to which one is otherwise subject. Buddhism is a way of finding peace within oneself. It is a religion that helps it’s believers to find the happiness and contentment us humans seek. One thing I found

    Read More

  • Buddhism and Islam

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    Religion is defined as "the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God" . There are many recognised religions of the world, which all teach its followers to live life "the right way", whose definition varies according to the religion itself. They have some beliefs and practices that distinguish themselves from each other. Some examples are differences and similarities of Buddhism and Islam.

    Read More

  • Buddhism versus Bartleby the Scrivener

    1769 Words  | 4 Pages

    Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion in our society today, following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Its major ideologies are based on the philosophies of Siddhartha Guatama, also known as “Buddha”, who began his teachings in 598 BCE at the age of 35, according to Buddhist texts. A Buddhist’s foremost aspiration is the obtainment of Bodhi, or enlightenment through meditation and Anapana-sati (awareness of the breath). Buddhism shares many ideologies with India’s Hinduism and Yoga such as non-harming, non-violence, and self-awareness. In many instances, people regard Buddhism as a way of life rather than a religion, for it has no clear belief in the idea of a God or Gods. Its structure is built upon a hierarchy much like Christianity where superior orders such as Lamas or the Dalai Lama are said to be chosen by nature through the process of reincarnation rather than by a council like Christianity’s Pope. Though these “higher level” Buddhists are rare (not everyone is a reincarnation of an ancient Buddhist “priest”), all are permitted to follow “The Middle Way” either as a Buddhist monk or the simple attendance of a weekly teaching session from time to time. Throughout the last few hundred years the Buddhist population has blossomed into a healthy 381,611,000 and over fifteen different sects including Zen, Mahayana, and Theravada.

    Read More

  • Krishna/Hinduism Worldview

    1311 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are four main castes and one in which they consider to be the outcastes. The four main castes are the Brahmin, the next is the Kshatriya, the third is the Vaishya, and the fourth is the Shudra. The outcastes are in the group called Dalits. Each caste has a purpose in life, the Brahmin are considered to be the priestly caste in which they are teach the Veda, and are to “sacrifice for others and receive alms” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Kshatriya is considered the warriors or the ruler caste, they have constant practice in battles, and they are to protect the world from harm. The Vaishya are to be the merchants and the farmers, they tend to the cattle, they, “engage in farming, keeps cows, trades, lends money at interest, and grows seeds” (Institutes of Vishnu 5-10, pg. 44). The Shudra are the manual laborers who according to the Institutes of Vishnu under the Four Castes, are to serve the twice born men who are to sacrifice and to study the Veda, the Shudra also engage in all the different duties of craftsmanship (5-10, pg.44). In case of a crisis, each caste is allowed to follow the occupation of the caste that is below them in rank. The duties in which all four of these castes, whatever gender or stage of life, are to follow and hav...

    Read More

  • Exploring the Origins and Spread of Buddhism

    1801 Words  | 4 Pages

    Buddhism was created in early Indian civilization. Development of the religion began with the death of their founder. The Buddhist community established their standard cannon and their common goal which was, to bring enlightenment to the world. (Robinson and Johnson, 3) Buddhism spread rapidly and as with all other major religions when it begins to spread it breaks up into sects. Buddhism divided into two sects Hinayana and Mahayana. The Hinayanas settled in greater India and followed the earlier traditions. The Mahayanas traveled throughout India and Asia. The most dense areas of Buddhist populations are within central and east Asia.

    Read More

  • Hinduism: Hinduism And Religions In India And Hinduism

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    The process of reincarnation is called Samsara , a continuous cycle in which the soul is reborn over and over again according to a person’s actions in one lifetime. At death many Hindus believe the soul is carried by a subtle body into a new physical body which can be a human or non-human form. You can be turned into an animal or a divine being. This is why they are vegetarians, animals may be your ancestors or family and friends. The goal of liberation, which is Moksha, is to make us free from this cycle of action and reaction, and from

    Read More

  • Comparing the Religions of Christianity and Hinduism

    2515 Words  | 6 Pages

    “If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: Search after truth through non-violent means. A man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth... Hinduism is the religion of truth. Truth is God.”

    Read More

  • How To Compare Mooksha And Hindu Moksha

    1669 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nirvana is a word that is commonly used in Buddhism with varied meanings depending on the use. It means the state of blowing out from certain detractors in life. To “blow out” has great meaning and refers wholly to the extinguishing or dispelling of oneself from certain characters that are considered to be iniquitous. It is characterized by peace of mind and it saves man from the sufferings, the cycles of rebirth, and death. Nirvana could only be achieved by individuals who observed the laid down rules and detached themselves from sin. Moksha is a common belief in the Hindu religion and it describes a state where one’s soul connects with god’s soul. In the Hindu religion, achieving moksha removes one from the cycle of life and death, which is the state of reincarnation as one moves from one life to the next. In essence, moksha is a state of unification of one’s soul with that of the creator, therefore achieving oneness of atman and Brahman. This essay discusses the various similarities and differences that exist between Buddhist Nirvana and Hindu Moksha.

    Read More

  • Comparing Buddhism And Samsara

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    Though both Hinduism’s moksha and Buddhism’s nirvana are more or less synonymous, they both hold distinctive differences in the path that leads followers to the end goal of enlightenment from samsara. In Hinduism, “letting go” or releasing from samsara by way of the realization that “atman is Brahman” is what moksha is defined as. Contrastingly, Buddhism involves extinguishing feelings that cause suffering and thus, achieving

    Read More

  • Jainism: The Most Peaceful Religion In The World

    613 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thus, I thought that trying out the Jain diet for my project would prove to be an interesting yet challenging experience to take part in so that I can gain a little bit of insight into what life as a Jain might be like. Additionally, the man in the well parable also resonated with me. Even though the man has fallen down a well and will probably be attacked by the snakes or swallowed by the python, he is still focused on the honey dripping from the bees. This made me think deeply about how illogical it is for a person to be so caught up with the trivial aspects of life when there are far more serious issues at hand, like impending death in the case of the

    Read More

  • The Similarities and Differences between Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ld note that all three religions, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, have been the dominant, prevailing religious trends in India for many centuries, and they clearly reflect the culture, history, and spirituality of the country. All three of these religions effectively reflect the views of believers on life, death and honorable conduct. Nonetheless, despite the fact that they are very much related with each other, each has some distinct features distinguishing it from all others, and contributes to the understanding of the religious background in India both at the beginning of the new era of humanity, and in the contemporary period of time.

    Read More

  • Suicide In Nepal Essay

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another reason for a lack of good access to public health care for the Nepalese women is caused by religion. The major religions in Nepal are hinduism (82.62%), buddhism (10.74%), islam (4.20%), kirant (3.60%), and christianity (0.45%). Previously the economic and political power was centralized interlinking it with the Hindu caste system since the majority of the Nepalese population are Hindus. The hindu caste system consisted of the Brahmins(priests) at the top of the pyramid, Kshatriya (warriors and Kings) just beneath, followed by Vaishya (Merchants) and the Sudra (peasants and labourers), and at the bottom of the pyramid were the “untouchables” (butchers, carcass and waste cleaners). Although Nepal was declared a secular country in 2006 and the caste system abolished, the hierarchy in the caste system still lingers on.

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper On Jainism

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jains believe that the world goes through different alterations, or swings. So currently, Jains believe that we are in the fourth swing, and it is a downward swing. Jainism is deeply rooted in the beliefs of non-violence. Followers of Jainism believe that every single thing has life; this even includes stones, trees, and sands. They believe that all living things have souls and are equal. Every soul is potentially divine and it has innate qualities of infinite knowledge, perception, power, and bliss. Mahavira led himself to starvation due to his belief in that every single thing has life, but generally Jains do not follow that path. At the very least, Jains are vegetarians and prevent trying to harm things. Jains, just like Buddhists, believe in karma and they believe that karma deeply directs out reincarnation and our bodies. The main goal of Jainism is to escape this cycle of birth and death and reach Moksha. Anything can reach the level of Moksha, even animals, or anything with a soul. Humans seem to have the best opportunity to reach Moksha. Jains believe that human life is a rare opportunity for the soul to reach enlightenment and, therefore, Moksha. People who reach the ultimate goal of Moksha are known as Tirthankaras. Jains do not worship any Gods, but they do hold Tirthankaras with high regard. These Tirthankaras were able to reach the ultimate goal of Moksha, so Jains greatly revere them. Essentially, through learning more about the tenets of Jainism, I have learned that Jainism truly values being simple and being one with nature. Jains are a very peaceful people and they live their lives in humbleness and tranquility. Even in their cardinal principles encourage this peaceful lifestyle such as non-violence, multiplicity of views, non-possessivenes, non-stealing, and chastity. Ultimately, Jainism shows us that we should live moderate

    Read More

More about Jainism And Religion

Open Document