ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 77

1.2 Jainism The word Jain is derived from the word jina (spiritual conqueror). Jina is a perfect human being who has attained pure soul state associated with the four primary qualities namely infinite perception-knowledge-energy and bliss. He is an ordinary human being at the time of birth but through his strenuous spiritual purification efforts, he attains this state. Followers of the path shown by Jina are called Jains.
Reality: The definitive word for reality is 'sat' or existent. Each existent is with origination decay and permanence simultaneously. Thus reality is said to be persistence with change. Existents are characterised by dravya (substance) and the realms of substances are classi
es are classified as j va (living beings with consciousness) and non living beings (aj va or without consciousness). There are infinite j vas in this cosmos. Each j va has the potential to attain Jina status through his strenuous spiritual purification efforts. However all living beings help (cooperate) with each other. Further j vas are broadly divided as pure soul (siddha) and empirical souls (defiled souls or sa s rjva). Empirical souls go through innumerable varieties of existences grouped in four categories namely hell, heaven, human and sub-human.
Cosmos' and its contents are neither created by any one nor can they be destroyed by anyone. They change form continuously as per the definition of reality in Jainism. Thus the entire time period from beginningless point to eternity is into time cycles called rs. Each r or epoch has two parts namely period of rising happiness (utsarpi ) and period of decreasing happiness (avasarpi ). Each r has a series of twenty four ford makers (t rtha karas) over different time periods who rejuvenate the religion so that the living beings can move forward to attain their worldly and spiritual objectives.
Religion is defined in a number of ways by different preceptors namely
Nature of an entity is its religion, that which removes the worldly pains of the living beings and leads
them to the state of bliss is religion". • Supreme forgiveness, modesty, straightforwardness, purity, truthfulness, self restraint, austerity,
renunciation, non attachment and celibacy constitute religion Non violence is the supreme spiritual virtue" Conduct is religion 13
The cardinal principles of Jain way of life are:
Non violence for thought ahi s ); Non possession (Aparigraha): Multiplicity of viewpoints (Anek nta); Responsibility for your actions and the results thereof (karma doctrine)
1.3 Social consciousness in Jainism, a view The general perception in the academic community is that Jainism is the religion of asceticism i.e. withdrawal from the world (renunciation or nivstti) to lead an ascetic life to attain liberation. This remark is perhaps based on the great emphasis placed on code of conduct for the ascetics in Jain canons and scriptures prior to first century AD. Also the story literature (purāņas) of Jains, which is very vast, has the distinctive feature of evolving the entire story around one person (hero) and traces his/her life in many births till he/she achieves the ultimate objective of becoming an ascetic and liberation thereafter. This may also develop a feeling of greater emphasis being put on renunciation rather than engagement in the world. In the Svetāmbar Jain canons, only the seventh limb i.e. Upāsakadaśānga gives life sketches of ten lay persons during Mahāvira's time.
However from 2nd century AD, the Jain holy literature emphasizing the conduct for laity and known as Śrāvakācāras started getting written by Jain preceptors which emphasized not only the ultimate liberation of the individual laity but also the rules of social conduct for them as they remain tied to the world. Perhaps Samantbhadra (2nd to 6th century AD)' a noted Jain preceptor and scholar from Southern India, was the first one to compose the text popularly known as Rattan Karanda Sravakācāra detailing the worldly and spiritual ethics of Jain laity.
Somdev Suri (Yaśastilakācampu in 943-960 AD), another important Jain scholar and preceptor, describes dharma for śrāvakas as of two basically different types namely laukika (worldly) and pārlaukika (other worldly or beyond the world). The pārlaukika dharma is the true path of liberation or the Jain samaya as he calls it which every Jain indeed should know and follow. Laukika dharma on the other hand consists of social norms, customs, laws, rules, institutions in which Jains live amongst themselves and others provided they do not undermine or distort the performance of pārlaukika dharma. We thus see the concept of mulagunas (basic virtues) six essential duties (āvasyakas), five anuvratas (with self imposed limits of observance by laity), three enhancing vows (guņavratas) and four teaching vows (Śikṣāvratas) coupled with eleven stages of spiritual development
Page 67 of 556
STUDY NOTES version 4.0