Elusive Consciousness

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari, Surendrasingh Pokharana, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 97

FS (eds), Springer Science + Business Media, chapter 6.
Appendix 1.
Jainism , traditionally known as Jaina Dharma is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings and emphasizes spiritual independence and equality between all forms of life. The essence of Jainism is concern for the welfare of every living being in the universe. Practitioners believe that non-violence and self-control are the means by which they can obtain liberation. Jains believe in the notion that truth and reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view. This doctrine is formally called anekantavada. According to it, human beings are always limited in their perception and knowledge about the reality. They can thus have only partial information/knowledge of reality. Philosophical and theological disputes arise only because of the partial knowledge of human beings. The Jain doctrine stresses on the existence of soul. According to Jainism, every living being is a soul and have a separate existence from the body that houses it. This soul undergoes a cycle of reincarnations. Jainism postulates the existence of fine particles of matter called karma. These karmic particle are attached to the soul from infinite past. On account of the soul's interaction with the karmas and it is through this karma that the soul is reincarnated and feels pleasure and pain.
The word Jainism is derived from a Sanskrit verb Ji which means to conquer. It refers to a battle with the passions and bodily pleasures that the Jaina ascetics undertake. Those who win this battle are termed as Jina (conqueror). The term Jaina is thus used to refer to laymen and ascetics of this tradition alike.Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Jains traditionally trace their history through a succession of twenty-four propagators of their faith known as tirthankara with Adinātha as the first tirthankara and Mahāvīra as the last.
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