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caring for of all living beings. I also tell them that we also believe in helpinganyone who is in need. I also tell people that we don't ask for help from the tirthankars and that we believe that we can only help ourselves. (Vishal Mehta, 13, Ann Arbor, MI)
• One of the first things I've realized was that to explain Jainism to people, I needed to connect it to something they already know about, such as Buddhism and Hinduism. This means that it would be inefficient to explain the entire basics of Jain theory, throwing in a few Sanskrit words occasionally, and expect the person one was talking with to have ay idea of what one just said. When I was younger, I used to explain it as a cross between other Indian religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, which, aside from being wildly inaccurate, often left people with the impression that Jainism was just an offshoot of Hinduism with thousands of gods.
. By my age, most of my friends have at least heard of Jainism, and the job of explaining it has become much easier. However, it's hard to define what the most important principles of Jainism are, so I usually say that Jainism is a non-violent Indian religion in which reincarnation is involved, and that there is no single omniscient God. Not all of that is completely true, but it is the easiest way to get Americans to understand the very basic principles of Jainism. Of course, when one meets people who don't know that there is no language called "Indian", explaining a complicated religion such as Jainism becomes harder than ever. (Shan Kothari, 13, Canton, MI)
Jainism is not simply a religion,
but a science. It does not consist of just ceremonies
and rituals but a collection of techniques
to lenow the self.
several of the traditions and rituals
which abide in this faith can be understood
to possess a deep yogic significance.
• Jainism is an ancient and indigenous religion of India. The term Jain originates from the word jina which means "The Victor" or "The Liberator." It designates a person who is a vanquisher of the inner enemies-- räga (attachment-deceit and greed) & dvesha (aversion - anger and ego), thus freeing himself/herself from the bondage of karma. The five great vows of Jainism are as follows, non-violence (Ahimsa), non-possessiveness (Aparigraha), celibacy (Brahmacharya), non-stealing (Asatya), and truth (Satya).
Jainism is not simply a religion, but a science. It does not consist of just ceremonies and rituals but a collection of techniques to know the self. Several of the traditions and rituals which abide in this faith can be understood to possess a deep yogic significance.
Jainism is a way of life based on ahimsa, otherwise known as non-violence. It embraces the ancient techniques and philosophies handed down by the jinas, Arihantas, or Tirthankaras. There are twenty-four main prophets in the faith, as this lineage can be traced back to prehistoric times. The two most recent prophets are Lord Parswanath and Lord Mahavir, respectively. Thus, the people who worship these prophets and who follow the religious tenets proclaimed by the Jina are called the Jainas and their religion is Jainism. (Disha Bora, 13, Troy, MI)
14th Biennial JAINA Convention 2007
204
PEACE THROUGH DIALOGUE
Jain Education Intemational
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