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Diversity of World Religious Expression
Eastern (Indian)
Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism
Pravin K, Shah
JAINA Education Committee Federation of Jain Associations in North America
509 Carriage Woods Circle,
Cary NC 27513-6469 E-mail: jainaedu@gmail.com
919-859-4994
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Diversity of World Religious Expression
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Melbourne 2009
*
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Topics
>Brahmana System – Hinduism Samana System •Buddhism
•Jainism
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Eastern (Indian) Religions Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism
Common Features:
Goal of Life - Liberation (Moksha) Eternal
• Human Suffering - Soul's Ignorance
Philosophy of Karma
• Continuity of Life (Reincarnation)
Mystical (Human Experience)
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Self Realization (Direct contact with God/Self) Scripture has no authority over Realized Person Individual
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Eastern (Indian) Religion Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism
Common Features (continued):
Freedom to choose God(s)/no-God
No Judgment Day
No Eternal Hell/Heaven
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•
• Worshipping - All Day
Universe Exists in Endless Cycle
Religious Symbols (OM, Swastika, Lotus)
• Cremation
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Systems of Philosophy Developed
Brahmana System (Hinduism)
Samana System (Jainism, Buddhism)
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O
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Brahmana System - Hinduism
> God –
Creator, Preserver, Destroyer (Cyclic) God is universe and universe is God
(synonymous) > At liberation, soul merges with God or Universe
Soul becomes infinity → Highly Ritualistic (elaborate and fancy) > Animal Sacrifices in the past > Scriptures have certain authority in the initial stage of Spiritual progress
• Vedas, Upanishads, Geeta, Brahma Sutra • Scriptures are in Sanskrit
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Systems of Philosophy - Hinduism
> Yoga • Path of Meditation and Self-effort
Sage Pantanjali • Samkhya
• Path of pure understanding and Comtemplation
• Sage Kapil > Nyaya
School of Logic based on Nyaya Sutras • Aksapada Gautam
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Systems of Philosophy - Hinduism
Vaisesika
The atomist School - Extension of Nyaya logics The atomists theorized that nature consists of two fundamental principles: atom and void
Sage Kanada Earlier Mimasa • The tradition of Vedic interpretation, with emphasis
on Vedic ritual Later Mimasa (popularly known as Hinduism) • Vedanta - the Upanishadic tradition, with emphasis on Vedic philosophy
Saivism, Saktism, Vaisnavism, Liberalism
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Primary Paths - Hinduism:
Path of Devotion or Surrender (Bhakti Yoga) ➤ Enjoyment of Supreme Love and Bliss Path of Knowledge (Jnan Yoga)
Realization of unique and supreme Self through contemplation
Path of Action (Karma Yoga)
Dedication of every human activity to Supreme Will
Path of Self Control/Meditation (Raj Yoga) Liberation through the perfection of body, thought, emotion and consciousness
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Hinduism Duties of Individuals (Caste Systems)
Priests-intellectuals (Brahmins) • Establish and preserve the national ideas and
philosophy Rulers and warriors (Kshatriyas) • Protect the state from external aggression and
establish internal order Merchants and artisans (Vaishyas)
• Production of national wealth Sudras
• To do the menial work
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Hinduism: Duties at various Stages of Life
Student life (Brahmcharya Ashram)
• Preparatory period Householder life (Gruhastha Ashram)
• Worldly success: wealth, fame and power Retirement life (Vanpastha Ashram)
• Service to community and fellow man Renunciation life (Sanyas Ashram) • Renunciation of possessions and family for
realization of true self
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Samana System (Buddhism and Jainism)
No Creator God
Humans are capable to achieve the highest spiritual state Scriptures have no authority (they are only guide) Human experience or Self Realization is the ultimate authority
Primary Path
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Path of Knowledge (Jnan Yoga)
Realization of unique and supreme self through knowledge
Nonviolence, self control, penance, and meditation Revolt against Hindu caste distinction, fancy rituals, and animal sacrifice
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Buddhism:
The Supreme Supreme is completely transcendent and can be described as:
Sunya (zero), a void, an emptiness, state of non-being
At Nirvana The future vanishes, the past vanishes, and one lives at the
present moment Being looses its identity and becomes nothing Being turns into a state of non-being, emptiness void, or
Sunya
In Samsar (world)
Being is a combination of physical and mental forces/energies
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Buddhism: (continued)
Man's true nature is divine and eternal
Preaching -
• The greatness of self giving love and compassion towards all creatures
• Middle path consist of living moderately and avoiding extremes
Scriptures
Tripitika for Theravad sect,
• Sutras for Mahayan sect
Written in Pali language (vernacular)
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Four Noble Truth - Buddhism:
Four Noble Truths 1. Suffering Exist
Being born, Growing old, Sickness, and Death; all are
Sufferings 2. Cause of Suffering Desire "thirst" to be and to become is the root cause of all
sufferings and rebirth 3. Cessation of Suffering Complete elemination of Desire and Craving, which is a state of Nirvana: passionless peace, perfect insight, enlightenment, perfect knowledge, immortality
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Four Noble Truth - Buddhism:
4. Eight-fold Path to End Suffering
Right Belief Right Thought or Aim Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood or Occupation Right Effort or Endeavor Right Mindfulness Right Meditation
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Jainism - Basic Belief
God, Universe and Life
God is not a Creator, Preserver or Destroyer of the Universe Liberated Souls are Jain Gods, who are only knower and Observer but not Doer
Universe is made up of Two Eternal and Self Existed Elements
Living beings (Souls)
Non-living Substances (Matters, Space, mediums of Motion and Rest, Time)
The Principles governing the successions of life cycles (Birth, Life, and Death) is Karma particles which are attached to the Soul from eternity.
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________________ Jainism - Basic Belief (continued) Life Sufferings Ignorance (Mithyatva) is the root cause of all Sufferings * Soul is Ignorant from eternity * Karma is attached to the Soul from eternity Ultimate Goal of Life * Removal of Soul's Ignorance hence free from all karma * Liberated Soul is all Knower and Observer but not a Doer (an Ideal State of a Living-being)
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________________ Jain Religion Features Every living being is Eternal, Individual, and has a potential to become Liberated or God At liberation the soul remains finite, lives in Moksha forever, and never loses its identity The Principles governing the successions of life cycles (Birth, Life, and Death) is Karma Our ignorance and/or intention behind our actions of body, mind, and speech bind us with Karma Path of liberation is to follow Right Conviction, Right Knowledge, and Right Conduct
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________________ Jain Religion Features (continued) *Proper knowledge of the six Universal substances and nine fundamental truths (Tattvas), are essential for Right Perception, Knowledge and Conduct. * Desire is the root cause of all sufferings * Elimination of your desire by your own effort in order to attain liberation. *Self purification, penance, austerity, and meditation are essential to eliminate the desire (Right Conduct). *Nonviolence is the highest principle to be followed in thought, speech, and action. *One must cease injuring sentient creatures, large and small.
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________________ Jain Religion Features (continued) Since human life cannot exist without some form of violence, one must live a life with minimum violence to one sense beings. Karma philosophy applies to ourselves, Compassion applies to all Scriptures - Agam Sutras written in Ardha-magdhi language (vernacular) Scriptures guide moral and spiritual life to ultimately attain liberation