Symbols The main emblem of the Jain religion was decided upon in 1974 on the 25000th anniversary of the nirvana of Mahavira, the last Jain Tirthankara. The emblem is a composition of many different symbols, all with specific meanings. The emblem’s outline represents the universe and can be divided into the three parts with the upper part representing Devlok, the heavens, the middle part representing Manushyalok, the Earth and planets, and the lower part representing Naraki, the seven hells. The curved arc at the top of the emblem represents Siddhashila, which is where the Siddhas, or the liberated souls go to rest.
The dot represents a Siddha. The three dots below the curved arc represent the three jewels of Jainism: “Samyak Darshan (Right Faith), Samyak Jnan (Right Knowledge), and Samyak Charitra (Right Conduct). ” The swastika which is a popular symbol in Vedic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism has four arms which represent the four destinies that a soul can be born into: “heavenly beings, human beings, animal beings, (including birds, bugs, and plants) and hellish beings. ” The swastika also reminds adherents of the faith of the four pillars of Jain Sangh: sadhus, sadhvis, shravaks, and shravikas.
By becoming these pillars, the Jain can break from the cycle of rebirth and achieve liberation. The hand means stop and at the center of the wheel of the hand is the word Ahimsa, which is a Sanskrit word that means “non-violence”. It reminds Jains not to partake in any activities that are harmful to themselves or others. At the bottom of the emblem is the mantra, Parasparopagraho Jivanam, which means “All life is bound together by mutual support and interdependence. ” Although the emblem was universally agreed upon by the Jain community and used throughout, some groups have varied it slightly.
For example, JAINA, the Federation of Jain Associations in North America, replaces the swastika with an Ohm symbol due to the swastika’s negative connotation in the Western world. The Ohm symbol is stylized to show the hierarchy of souls. The Jain flag can be seen from the top of temples and during Jainist processions and parades. Its origins are unknown but its meaning is very symbolic. The five colors, red, yellow, white, dark green and black (or sometimes blue), represent the Five holy Entities: enlightened teachers, liberated souls, mendicant leaders, mendicant tutors, and mendicants.
The color orange, in which the swastika and the three dots appear and dotted arc appear, is also related to the Five Holy Entities, namely the mendicant tutors. The ashoka tree is considered sacred by many Vedic religions and is highly valued by Jains. It is also related to the Hindu god of love, Kamadeva. Gods and Prophets Jains do not believe in a creator god that made and can destroy the universe. In fact, they believe that the universe is without end or beginning and therefore could not have been created by any one being. Jains have gods but not in the typical religious sense.
Those who destroy all their karmas and break free of the cycle of reincarnation are known as Arihants and when they die, they enter Siddhashila and become Siddhas. Siddhas live in a state of moksha, or blissful existence, which is the goal of all Jains. Since anyone who their karmas can become an Arihant and thus a Siddha, there is an innumerable number of gods and their count goes up as more people achieve enlightenment. Although Jains are not to worship any gods, they do recognize 24 Tirthankaras, which are individuals who became Arihants and then used their knowledge to guide others.
Each cosmic cycle has their own 24 Tirthankaras and they are said to be giants but progressively get shorter and appear more frequently as time progresses. Mahavira, who lived during the 6th century BCE, was the last Tirthankara to appear and is regarded as the founder of the Jainist religion. Description of Teachings The central teaching of Jainism is ahimsa, which is the virtue of nonviolence. They believe in peace among all beings and try to do as much as they can to reduce suffering.
They are staunch animal rights supporters and therefore strict vegetarians who also abstain from some root vegetables and fruits due to the fact that it would cause a disruption in their ecosystems. Anekantavada means multiplicity of views. It is one of the most important tenets of Jainism because reminds Jains to be open minded and remember that there are many ways to the truth. Because of this, Jains are accepting of all faiths because they believe that they all have some variation of the truth in their doctrine. Aparigraha means non-possessiveness.
Jains are not supposed to be greedy or covet things that do not belong to them as material desires will not bring them any further to their goal of attaining moksha. Satya refers to truthfulness. Jains are required to not gossip, tell lies, hide the truth, or participate in dishonest activities as it distracts from their true purpose. Asteya is non stealing, meaning Jains should not steal or take what does not belong to them. Brahmacharya refers to chastity. Monks are required to take total vows of chastity, which includes not only physical pleasures but sensual thoughts as well.
Laypeople can take vows of chastity or they can choose to confine sex to marriage. All of these virtues and tenets are in place to help the Jain achieve perfection of soul and become a siddha. Major Books The holy text of Jainism are the Agamas or the Agama Sutras (texts). These texts contain the oral teachings of Mahavira. The number of authentic texts are disputed amongst sects, due to the fact that initially Jain monks were not allowed to read or write which meant that they had to remember the holy texts and pass them on orally. If a monk died or misremembered a text, that led to corruption.
The Digambara sect believes there are 24 lost Agama Sutras and those currently in existence are not authentic. Sects There are two major sects in Jainism, the Digambara and the Svetambara. The split took place in the 4th century BCE following a migration of Jain monks southward from the Ganges River. They generally disagree on which scriptures are key to the religion. The Digambara, whose name means sky clad in reference to the vow of nudity that their monks take, are seen as being more extreme when it comes to asceticism. Monks are required to renounce all worldly items except for a peacock feather broom and a water pot.
They cannot stay in one place for too long as to avoid detachment and generally only eat once a day. Because of the strict vows they must take, full-fledged Digambara monks are rare. They believe that it would be improper for women to go without clothing. Unable to truly renounce all material possessions, women of the Digambara sect can never be truly ascetic. Because of this, they can never achieve liberation from the cycle of life without being reborn as a man. Naturally, those of the Digambara believe that all of the Jinas were men. In their depictions of the Jinas, the Digambara portray them as being very plain.
They are always nude and lack jewelry or any form of embellishment. Their eyes are either closed or downcast. The Digambara believe in the Siddhanta texts. The Svetambara, whose name means white clad and refers to the simple, unstitched white robes they wear, are seen as being more moderate in their asceticism. Their monks are not so restricted in what they can possess and many own bowls, a cotton broom to brush the earth with (so as to not step or sit on any organisms), a water-pot, and a mouth-cloth so that they don’t harm or breathe in minute organisms.
In certain cases they can even have a bookstand and a staff. The Svetambara believe that women can achieve liberation. They also create more ornate images of the Jinas in which the statues wear loin cloths, wear extravagant jewelry. In addition, the eyes of the Jinas are front facing and opened wide. Holy Days and Pilgrimages An important holiday in the Janist tradition is Mahavira Jayanti which is the celebration of the birthday of Mahavira. On this day, a ceremonial bath called Abhisheka is given to the statues of Mahavira. Jains will also gather in temples to pray and hold parades for Mahavira.
They parade his statues through the streets. Paryusanis considered to beone of the most important holidays in the Svetambara sect. It is an eight or ten day period that includes many sacred days such as the Mahavira Jayanti. Kartik Purnima is the time for pilgrimage to the sacred sites associated with the Jain religion. Jains go to the sacred Shatrunjay hills of in the city of Palitana because it was where the first Tirthankara went to deliver his first sermon. Mauna Agyaras is a day of fasting and silence. Jains meditate on the five great beings.
Diwali is a holiday that is also celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus but holds different degrees of significance to each religion. To the Jains, this festival of lights signifies the liberation of Mahavira and his attainment of Moksha. Sacred Sites Jain have several sacred sites. There are many temples dedicated to the Tirthankaras. The Shatrunjay being one of their most sacred sites is made up of 863 temples and it looks like a giant, majestic castle. Location and Numbers The hearth of Jainism is India and there are up to 4-6 million followers of the faith. As technology has made it easier for eople to migrate, Jains have moved to all corners of the world though their numbers are greatest in the Indian subcontinent. Architecture Jain temples are very lavish in their design. They tend to be vibrant in color, large, and very clean. Almost all of them have the Jain flag on it.
Burial Practices and Sites Jains are placed into coffins called bier. They are then Covered in cloth and meditated over. the body is then taken to a dock where the eldest son sprinkles water on the body before it is set ablaze. The fire is put out with mil and the remains are buried in he ground. Some Jain do throw the ashes into water, but most view that as disrespectful to the Earth, so when they bury the remains they bury them with salt in order to make the earth absorb the compost faster. Structure Most Jains are born into the religion. They typically do not proselytize or seek converts because they believe that all religions hold some pieces of the truth. However, if one wishes to follow the Jain way of life, they are welcome to. The religion is autonomous since there is no central authority and Jains are welcome to practice their faith as they wish.
