Is There Room For God In Jainism

SR No.: 269762
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hunter Joslin
Publisher: Hunter Joslin
Total Pages: 3
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 194 KB

Page 1

JAINA, Contributor HUFFPOST 08/26/2013 04:15 pm ET Updated Oct 26, 2013
Is There Room for God in Jainism? And if so, where does God fit?
By Hunter Joslin (Hunter Joslin is a graduate of Georgetown University. He is presently pursuing a Master's in
Theology at Loyola Marymount University with a concentration in Comparative Theology).
I am writing now from Benaras in Uttar Pradesh. Since the beginning of my trip with the International School for Jain Studies (ISS), I have wondered whether or not there is room for God in Jainism. I am a Christian from the United States, and of course this is a very theocentric question. But I do believe there may be room for God in Jainism. That is, although God does not fit in Jain theory, God may in some way fit in Jain praxis. It is this that I would like to consider. From the first lecture of ISJS, it was clear to me that Jains do not believe in a creator God. Yet, despite explicit statements about the non-belief of a God in Jain theory, there have been numerous situations in which God was evoked in Jain practice. Over two days in the Maharashtran city Jalgaon, I observed three instances where Jains specifically referred to God on a personal level.
First, the esteemed Dalichand Oswal, uncle and philanthropic adviser to Bharvalal Jain, the founder of Jain Irrigation Systems, gave a moving speech on Jainism before a lecture by Professor Priyadarshana Jain. During his speech, he stated that he would "ask God for pardon" concerning his wrongdoings. What those wrongdoings were, I am not sure, but it seemed to me that Oswal was speaking generally, asking God for pardon in the way Jains seek forgiveness during the annual Day of Forgiveness (Ksamavani) for any harm caused, inadvertently or not, to others. Second, following Mr. Oswal's speech, Dr. Sugan Jain, the director of ISJS, stated that Mr. Oswal was not a "theoretical" man, but a "practitioner." And, moreover, in his praises,
he said with great affection: "May God bless you." • Third, during his talk at ISJS the following day, Bharvalal Jain stated that being born into
the Jain religion was a "gift from God." These three statements demonstrate that although God is not a theoretical reality for Jain philosophy, God is still a major consideration in Jain life. Furthermore, the invocation of God seems to indicate some individual need for God, given that each statement was personal in nature. The first was a petition to God for forgiveness; the second, for a blessing; and the third, an affirmation of God's benevolent giving. Each vocalization was a certain avowal concerning the personal relationship between God and Jains. However, whether or not these avowals signify a deep theocentric need cannot be easily determined. What can be determined is that there is some reality of God for these three Jains. But what could it be?
Why does a Jain, whose religion professes non-belief in God, ask for God to forgive his sins? Why does another Jain ask for God to bless someone? and