ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 215

B.5.14.5
Healing in Jainism Dr. Shugan C Jain
Healing is generally understood as the act or process of curing or of restoring to health. Assessed physically, healing is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or narcotic area. Healing incorporates both the removal of necrotic tissue (demolition), and the replacement of this tissue. For centuries, people of faith have offered prayers for the sick, often with dramatic results. More recently, medical research has shown consistent proof that healing prayers and meditation definitely have positive results for the sick. But this is nothing new.
Jains on the other hand talk of holistic healing as healing of the body is a by-product of the total process of spiritual purification. Jains consider soul and body as separate entities. Jain definition of reality is persistence with change. Soul is sentient and eternal with infinite perception, knowledge, energy and bliss as its main attributes. On the other hand body is matter which is insentient and concrete (with form, taste, colour and odour as its attributes). Even though soul and body are different; yet with their doctrine of identity cum diffe Jains place very high importance on the health of the body as this is the primary organ / entity which soul uses to achieve its ultimate objective of being supreme soul or just soul i.e. the liberation of the soul from matter association (karmas) which is the cause of transmigration and pain.
Further being atheists, Jains do not pray to some external agency to heal, rather it focuses on the patient to cure himself and asks his family/friends to help him heal - parasparopragraho jīvānām' or living beings help each other). The Jain doctrine and way of life and the attending family and friends act as healing factors to enable recovery from bodily injuries /sicknesses at super human rate and finally let the individual realize his highest goal of eternal happiness. The fundamental aspects of healing in Jainism are to build confidence in the patient that the sickness is temporary, it can be cured and he has to take initiative and make efforts to heal / recover from the illness. Further the concept of subsidence, subsidence cum annihilation and annihilation of the karmas, power of soul to change most of the karmas bonded or active and likely to fructify and the states of the soul can lead the
Tattvārtha-sūtra-V/21
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STUDY NOTES version 5.0