Articles | Book Reviews | Education
An Understanding of Jainism and the Importance of Non-Violence
Ask any ten persons about the world's present problems and nine will reply that violence is the biggest issue humanity is unable to overcome. While everyone knows about physical violence, few understand that violence is committed through thoughts as well as spoken words. We invented technological developments for our convenience, but instead we have become dependant, if not, slaves of it. Means of transport and communications have changed our thinking and outlook. With the advent of computers, bus-trains and television, respectively, we do not like to write by hand, we do not walk, we have become couch potatoes. The cumulative effects of all these advancements have resulted in changes to our thinking, our ethics, and our values.
The majority of human beings today want to become rich overnight. They do not want to labor, nor do they have the patience to work hard. The standards for others and for themselves are different. The gap between preaching and practice has widened. The indiscriminate exploitation of nature has caused a lot of unpredictable occurrences in the universe. We do not restrain our needs, nor do we control our desires. Freedom is mistaken as an unlimited permission to do anything and everything. For the most part, we are losing our control over our own greed, anger, jealousy and sexual desires. At the end, all these lead us to decide between 'head vs. heart' and 'science vs. religion.' We have to decide within ourselves how appropriately we utilize these two essentials in our daily life.
Non-violence (Ahinsa) has a deep and profound meaning in Jainism. Jains follow "Ahinsa Paramo Dharma," meaning non-violence is supreme.. This is the basic tenet in Jainism. Another guiding motto, included in the Jain symbol, is "Parasparopgraho jivanam," Live and Let Live or the Mutual Assistance of all Beings. Violence can be perpetrated knowingly or unknowingly as well as directly or indirectly through consent or support. Non-violence is not restricted simply to human beings, but there should also be compassion and care towards animals.. Acharya Sushilmuni said, "Non-violence meeans you are not prepared to kill. You are prepared to die." The Jain seer, Shrimad Rajchandra (1868-1901), answered Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) in reply to his question about the problem of Ahinsa.
"Q. - If a snake comes to bite us, what should we do? Should we remain calm and silent and allow it to bite, or kill it outright to save us?
A. - If I reply to this question in the affirmative and say, let the snake bite, it would, of course, become a great problem. But for those who have realized the truth that the body is a transient thing, it would not be at all reasonable to kill a creature which is attached to a body. Therefore, my reply to this question is that those who are anxious for their spiritual good should, when confronted with such a situation, offer their body to the snake rather than take its life. You may well ask, "Well, what about those who care little for their spiritual good?" For such people my simple reply is that to let them wander in wretched forms like hell.. How can one like my self advise them to kill a snake? It is the non-Aryan attitude of mind which teaches the killing of serpents or other creatures. We should ever aspire to be free from such an attitude even in our dreams."
Practically all religions have many ways of reaching the same goal of salvation. While some religions are very well known, let us look at one less known - the religion of Jainism. It is more a way of life and offers solutions to the problems, not only for humans, but also for all living beings.
Jainism is a pre-historic religion. Jains believe that their religion is eternal, but as time is finite, we speak of cycles of evolution and dissolution, with 24 Jinas (Tirthankaras) or "perfect saints" for each cycle. During this present cycle, 24 Jinas have already appeared. The first was Rushabhdev and he is stated to have lived 8,400,000 years ago. The 23rd Tirthankar was Parsvanath, who died in 776 BC. His immediate predecessor, Neminath, is supposed to have lived 5,000 years earlier. Each Tirthankar illuminates the tradition and ensures a strict adherence to its doctrine. There were many Tirthankars in the past and there will be many more in the future. A few Tirthankars, such as Jina, are even mentioned in Hindu scriptures like Vedas. The Jain faith is considered to be non-Vedic in origin and outlook, and is the oldest living representative of the Shramana path of Indian culture. Jainism has existed for centuries as an independent religion parallel with Hinduism. Jainism is not an offshoot of Hinduism.
Jain means to be a follower of a Jina. Jains follow the path practiced and preached by Tirthankars, who are also called Jinas, meaning, one who has overcome all human passions. They are the spiritual victors, those who have attained omniscience. The 24th and the most recent in the holy succession was the historic figure Mahavir. He was not the founder but a promoter of Jainism. Mahavir was the contemporary of Gautama Buddha. Jains worldwide celebrated Bhagwan Mahavir's 2600th Birthday on 6 April 2001.
The word Mahavir is an epithet meaning a great soul or hero. It is not the given name of the man to whom it is applied, but its universality has rendered it functionally equivalent to a personal name. His given name was Vardhaman (599-527 BC), born in Vaishali, Bihar, India and the son of King Siddhartha and Trishala. He married Yashoda and had a daughter. At approximately age 30, he made the great renunciation and was initiated into ascetic life. He bade farewell to his family and affairs, and retired into the solitude to meditate upon the miseries of existence, the way of escape and the final emancipation. He spent twelve years in a squatting position, sunken in abstract thought, omniscience and then came to know Kevalgyan, all the conditions of the world, gods, men and demons. Thus, in the early forties, he became Jina (conqueror-victor of Karma) and soon after a Tirthankar.
After thirty years of preaching at the age of 72 Bhagwan Mahavir preached his last sermon before entering into emancipation (Nirwan) at Jalmandir, Pavapuri, Bihar, which has since become one of the principal places of Jain pilgrimages, with a beautiful temple containing his footprints.
The keynote of Jainism is the practice of Ahinsa. Ahinsa means non-violence, non-killing, non-harmlessness or non-injury, physical or mental. It restricts harming anyone through thought or speech. Ahinsa has been followed by Jains since the beginning of their creed. Their commitment to non-violence is towards all living creatures, consequently Jains are strict vegetarians. It also prohibits taking up occupations that injures humans or animals. Jainism has contributed to the philosophy of life in its insistence that the pathway to perfection is threefold: Right faith (Samyak-Darshan) Right knowledge (Samyak-Jnana) and Right conduct (Samyak-Charitra). "Live and Let Live" is the main slogan given by Mahavir. The five principles (Vrats) of Jainism are Non-violence (Ahinsa), Non-possession (Aparigrah), Multiple Views (Anekantvad), Celibacy (Brahmacharya) and Truth (Satya). Monks (sadhu) and Nuns (sadhvi) observe these wholly, while laypersons (shravak and shravika) observe them as much as possible.
In 1973, during the 2500th Emancipation (Nirwan) Anniversary of Mahavir the symbol for Jainism was adopted. The symbol summarizes much of Jain teaching. Its outline is the shape attributed to the universe by ancient scriptures. The shape of the universe resembles a person standing with feet apart and arms tucked on both hips. The swastika symbolizes the four types of birth or realms into which a soul reincarnates during its journey in the universe namely heaven, human, animal and hell.
The three dots over the swastika represents the Ratnatrayi, the three jewels of the Jain philosophy by which liberation can be achieved. In Tattvarthsutra, the opening aphorism is "Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct," which constitute the path to liberation. Samyak Darshan, right faith or perception, is a belief in the self and its relationship with its surroundings. Samyak Gnan, right knowledge, is knowledge informed by such belief. Samyak Charitra, right conduct, is full awareness brought about by an understanding of the above. Only as a human being can one attain liberation (Moksh) from rebirths, the ultimate goal of life. The crescent shape represents the half-moon, an abode (Siddha Shila), where the liberated souls (Siddhas), live perpetually. The dot over the crescent indicates the liberated soul.
The palm within the symbol is a gesture of blessing and is raised for protection. Within the wheel on the palm is inscribed the word Ahinsa, non-violence The phrase at the bottom of the symbol means, "All life is bound together by mutual support and interdependence" or "Mutual help of all beings." As we enter the 21st century, it reminds us of our relationship with the environment. The background colors are from the Jain Dhaja (flag). Each color represents quality and souls: orange for body function Siddha, yellow for confidence Acharya, white for protection Arihant, green for life force Upadhyaya, and blue for destroyer of negativity Sadhu - Sadhvi.
The Aum or Om means completeness. It is a symbolic word in Devnagri script. This seed nucleus (Mantra) is used for the Shanti Snatra ceremony. Its meaning is the infinite, the perfect, and the eternal. The very sound is complete, representing the wholeness of all things. The Jains identify Aum with the five categories of Pancha Parmesthis, religious heads. Aum is the seat of the five benedictions, salutations or supreme beings. The word is made up of five letters of a + a + a + u + m = Aum in Sanskrit. The first letter 'a' is for Arihanta - Godmen-perfect soul. The second letter of 'a' is for Ashariri or Siddha-liberated bodiless soul. The third letter 'a' is for Acharya- head of congregation. The fourth letter 'u' is for Upadhyaya-ascetic teachers. The last letter 'm' is for Muni or Sadhu and Sadhvi - ascetic aspirant. In this way, all the five letters put together constitutes Aum or Om. The chanting of Aum is the five-fold obeisance of all auspicious recitations and is part of the first and foremost universal Jain Namokar Mahamantra.
The tradition has it that when the Arihanta (Jina) attains absolute knowledge or omniscience, all the parts of Arihanta emanates a loud sound, a mega utterance of Aum called the divine sound. An involuntary, spontaneous, melodious sound emanates from the Tirthankar because of the catalytic presence of the positive vibrations of the people. Thus, the power of purity and silence of heart is evident from the above phenomena. The background color of the design is orange representing Siddha.
The Kalash, the holy pitcher is the sixth auspicious symbol among the eight of the "Ashta Mangal" which brings bliss in life. The two eyes as well as two ends of a scarf drawn on the sides are shown. It is customary to carve the eight symbols on the lintel of the main gate of temples and homes. Jains install a holy pitcher full of water with coconut (Shrifal) on top when they start any undertaking or ceremony, be it an inauguration or recitation of Shanti Snatra hymns. This symbol is used to invoke peace and prosperity in Indian culture and people have great faith in it. This illustration is reproduced from an illustrated Jain Kalpa-Sutra, which was highly honoured in the mediaeval age. The background color is orange representing Siddha.
Prakash Mody is the Jain Representative at the Ontario Multifaith Council on Spiritual and Religious Care, and the Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy. He is also a member of the Community Editorial Board of the Toronto Star.
Posted by editor on September 30, 2003 10:14 AM