Book Title: $JES 904 Compendium of Jainism (Jain Academic Bowl Manual 3rd Edition)
Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee
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INTRODUCTION
A02 Dharma: Religion
04 Why Do We Pray?
A Jain verse says, "I bow down to the path of salvation, which is supreme, which is omniscient; I bow down to that power because I wish to become like that power." The object is not to receive anything from the entity or from that spiritual nature, but to become one like that. It's not that spiritual entity will make us become like itself by a magic power, but by following out of ideal which is before our eyes, we shall be able to change our own personality. It will be regenerated, as it were, and will be changed into a being, which will have the same character and divinity which is our idea of God. So we worship God, not as a being who is going to give us something, not because it is going to do something to please us, not because it is profitable in any way; there is not any idea of selfishness; it is like practicing virtue for the sake of virtue and without any other motive.
God to us would mean to have attained the perfect and liberated state. We pay homage to the perfect for the sake to perfection, and not for any reward. One of the prayers of the Jaina is "I worship with power all consciousness which becomes the leader for us on the path of salvation; which has broken to pieces the mountain of physical forces of Karma; which has acquired omniscience. "I worship it because I wish to become that power.
The Jinas are not Gods in the sense of being the creators of the universe, but rather as those who have accomplished the ultimate goal of liberation through the true understanding of self and other realities. The concept of God as a creator, protector, and destroyer of the universe does not exist in Jainism. The concept of God's descent into a human form to destroy evil is also not applicable in Jainism.
The Jinas that have established the religious order and revived the Jain philosophy at various times in the history of humanity are known as Tirthankars. The ascetic sage, Rishabhdev was the first Tirthankar and Mahävir was the last Tirthankar of the spiritual lineage of the twenty-four Tirthankars in the current era.
In summary, Jainism does not believe in a creator God, however this does not mean that Jainism is an atheistic religion. Jains believe in an infinite number of Jinas (Gods) who are self-realized omniscient individuals who have attained liberation from birth, death, and suffering.
Compendium of Jainism - 2015
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