Journeying with my Jain Neighbors: Mission Dialogue Forum
As a part of ongoing interfaith awareness and engagement seminars for the staff of Global Ministries 8 another Mission Dialogue Forum being conducted by Prof. Ellen Gough who is an expert in Jainism currently serves as an assistant professor at the Department of Religions, Emory University on November 29, 2019.This time it was on Jainism which is still today one of the most influential religiosities in the fields from non-violence and peace movements, environmentalism to human rights and dignity of all beings. I am highlighting a few core points resulted from Prof. Gough’s educative session based from my notes.
Jainism has been considered one of the oldest and most enduring religions in the world. There are about 5 to 8 million Jains today around the world manly living in India. There are about over 150000 Jains in the US. According to the Wikipedia the Federation of Jain Associations in North America is an umbrella organization of American and Canadian Jain congregations to preserve, practice, and promote Jainism and the Jain way of life headquartered in New Jersey. (citation)
A key point in the long history of the Jain religion is that no one person or being has ever been credited with founding Jainism; in fact, Jains do not believe in a single, all-knowing and all-powerful god. Instead, there are twenty-four figures, known as jinas or tithankaras (ford-makers) who are revered as the originators of the religion for having reached the highest realm of knowledge and understanding. (citation) The major propagator is Mahavira, who lived in Bihar from 599 to 527 BCE. He was born around 599 BC in Kundagrama, near Patna, in northern India. (citation)
At the beginning it was called jina-dharma (“doctrine of the Jina”) or jina-mārga (“way/path of the victorious”). Jinas renounced the world, gained enlightenment (kevala-jñāna), and henceforth propagated a universal doctrine of individual salvation (mokṣa) of the soul (ātman or jīva) from the karmic cycles of rebirth and redeath (saṃsāra). The term ‘jina’ is the common name for the supreme souls who are totally free from all feelings of attachment, aversion, etc. The etymological meaning of the word ‘jina’ is the conqueror. It is the common name given to the twenty-four teachers (tirthankaras), because they have conquered all passions (raga and dvesa) and have attained liberation. (citation)
Beginnings:
A contemporary of Gautama Buddha, Mahavira started his journey as a spiritual leader out of respect for his parents after they died. For the nearly forty years, he wandered around India renounced cloths and preaching peace. It is claimed that Mahavira was finally reborn as the twenty-fourth jina after starving to death in his previous life as a lion, because he refused to eat another living being. After Mahavira’s death, two sects emerged among Jains. The Digambaras, or the “sky-clad,” believe that clothing shows too much attachment to the material world, and thus choose to wear nothing: Svetambaras (the “white-clad”), on the other hand, hold the belief that true purity exists in one’s mind. Svetambaras are the biggest sect and consist of both men and women. The Digambara sect consists of male monks only.
In contrast to the dominant sacrificial practices of Vedic Brahmanism, Mahvira’s method of liberation was based on the practice of nonviolence (ahiṃsā) and asceticism (tapas). After enlightenment, Mahāvīra formed a mendicant order of monks and nuns, called nirgranthas and nirgranthīs (“unattached ones”), which became the heart of the caturvidha-saṅgha (“fourfold community”) of monks, nuns, male laity, and female laity. The mendicant orders of the nirgranthas were the first monastic organizations of the world.
The five vows (Pancha Vrathas):
Right knowledge (samyak Drashana), right faith (samyak Jnan), and right conduct (samyak Charithra) are the three most essentials for attaining liberation/salvation according to Jainism. In order to acquire these one must observe the five great vows and live them as a way of life:
- Non-violence – Ahimsa
- Truth – Satya
- Non-stealing – Achaurya or Asteya
- Celibacy/Chastity – Brahmacharya
- Non-attachment/Non-possession – Aparigraha
Ahimsa: Non-violence: Among the five, ahimsa is the most important vow. It is really a positive virtue based upon universal love and mercy towards all beings. Ahimsa is abstinence from all injury to life, life that exists not simply in the moving beings (trasa), but also in some nonmoving ones (sthavara), such as plants and beings inhabiting the bodies of the earth. Abstinence from injury to life must be observed in thought, word, and deed –Mana, Vachana, and Kaya respectively. Hence the principle of Ahimsa – non-violence, naturally implies purity of thought, word, and deed. Thus, ahimsa vritha is binding to all members of the society, whether householder or ascetic. In the case of the householder, it is applicable with a limitation. In the case of ascetics, it is to be observed absolutely without any limitation. Satya or Truth: This vow is abstinence from falsehood.
The vow of satya or truthfulness consists in speaking what is true, as well as what is pleasant and good. Truthfulness is not only speaking what is true, but speaking what is true as well as good and pleasant. It is also pointed out that for the perfect maintenance of this vow, one must conquer greed, fear and anger.
Astheya or ‘Non-stealing’: This vow consists in not taking what is not given. This vow also includes abstinence from evil practices. The vow of asteya or ‘non-stealing’ is based on the idea of the sanctity of property.
Brahmacharaya: The vow of brahmacharaya consists in abstaining from all forms of selfindulgence. This refers to purity of personal conduct in the matter of sex. This vow when applied to the ascetic implies absolute celibacy, since a saint who has renounced all possible connections with the outside world is expected to practise strict celibacy. For the complete maintenance of this vow, one mustdesist from all forms of self-indulgence – external and internal, subtle and gross, mundane and extra-mundane, direct and indirect.
Aparigraha or Abstinence from all attachment: The vow of aparigraha consists in abstaining from all attachment to the senses – pleasant sound, touch, colour, taste, and smell. Attachment to the world’s objects means bondage to the world, and the force of this causes rebirth. Liberation is impossible without the withdrawal of attachment. In the case of the ascetic, he must practice non-possession strictly in thought, word, and deed. But in the case of the householder, such a complete renunciation will be meaningless.
Idea of God:
Jainism does not believe in a personal God or a creator God. According to the Jaina philosophical works, the definition of God goes like this- God is that soul who has completely removed all the Karmas. The defining characteristic of Godhood is identical with that of liberation itself. To attain liberation is to attain Godhood. The term ‘Isvara’ can very well apply to the soul that has become powerful by attaining its perfectly pure nature constituted of four characteristics, which are, infinite and right knowledge, infinite and right vision, infinite power, and infinite bliss. By constant practice of spiritual discipline, spiritually right knowledge, and right conduct, the means of liberation gradually develop and ultimately attain perfection.
Holy Scriptures:
There are various opinions about the classification of Jaina holy texts. Each of the main sects of Jainism recognizes its own body of sacred scriptures though many texts are common to all. Most of the ancient Jain texts are written in Prakrta (an early form of Sanskrit). According to their own tradition, the canon( as we know it today) was agreed upon almost a thousand years after the death of Mahavira in the late fifth or early sixth century of the Christian era, at a Council held at Vallabhi in Gujarat.
The general outline of the Jainism’s canon is as follows. It is divided into six sections and contains either forty-five or forty-six books.
- The twelve Angas or limbs.
- The twelve Upangas, or secondary limbs
- The ten Painnas, or ‘Scattered pieces’
- The six Cheya-Suttas
- Individual texts (two)
- The four Mula-Suttas
Teachers of contemporary Jainism interprets holy texts today in their education and formation.
Convergence and Dialogue and future mission:
I would like to offer three areas where Christianity and Jainism may be engaged for creating a better society:
- Ecology and Creation care are emerging themes for mission and service in the world. How Christian and Jain friends can partner in finding ways to resolve some of the serious ecological problems today?
- Non-Violence: I am sure Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., both have had the influence of both Buddhism and Jainism. How Christianity and Jainism together with other faiths may involve in a greater peace movement in a world of conflict, war and violence.
- New Monasticism: How can Jainism and Christianity work together cross-culturally in bringing influence our spiritual traditions and inspire a new generation of young women and men who do not want to live in monasteries but want to embrace monastic spirituality and social justice for creating a better world.