Jain Philosophy and Religion Introduction

Author(s): Jain Centre of Southern California
Publisher: USA Jain Center Southern California

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Jain Philosophy and Religion
Yet the Jain tradition is a historical tradition. While the Jain path to freedom comes from a remote period in human's history, the most recent Jinas to actually deliver its message to mankingwere Lord Parshva (877-77 BCE) and Lord Mahavira (599-527 BCE). They were not founders of any religion, but only the last of 24 "Crossing Makers" or "Tirthankaras", great omniscient teacher who lived at different times in the cultural development of the human race. These Crossing Makers accomplished the ultimate spiritual goal of existence, and then taught their contemporaries the way to reach it by crossing over to the safe shores of spiritual purity. By example, they imparted their path to the rest of humanity and inspired one of the most intellectually prolific, philanthropic and ecological traditions in world history.
The spiritual path's living heritage is today called Jainism.
Jain teachings are summarized in six statements:
1. SOUL EXISTS.
Pure soul is the real me. I exist and I am real. I am something different from my body and from anything I might choose to imagine, contemplate or visualize in my mind. Thoughts and memories of sensations, sights, sounds
and words are things that I construct mentally, but they do not define what I am. 2. THE SOUL IS ETERNAL AND INDPENDENT
I have always existed and will always exist. I was never created and cannot be destroyed. I am the only thing that
has affected my state in the past and the only thing that does so now and in the future. 3. THE SOUL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS OWN ACTIONS
I am the only force that controls my activities be they conscious, subconscious or unconscious. Ultimately,
nothing other than or outside of me makes me do what I do, feel what I feel, or see things the way I see them. 4. THE SOUL EXPERIENCES REPERCUSSIONS FROM ITS ACTIONS
Nature dictates that I am affected by my own mental, verbal and physical activity, for which I am alone
responsible. Spiritually those effects alter my ability to know reality and perceive the truth about myself. 5. THE SOUL CAN ATTAIN LIBERATION
I have the ability to reach the highest human attainment, which is to know and perceive the full truth about me, about this world, and about life itself, across all changes of time and space. When reached, this experience of
complete knowledge, perception, control and freedom is final, everlasting and my own true nature. 6. THERE IS A WAY TO LIBERATION
I can reach that state of perfection by a path of Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct. They are a spiritual way of seeing myself in relation to the rest of the universe, learning to understand things just as they are and living in ways that respect and honor my own spiritual nature and that of every other living soul.
The Jain concept of "God"
The soul is unique in that it is the only substance in the universe that can be aware of its own existence. The soul is real thing indeed, but has properties unlike those of matter and energy. It is not something that can be pursued or desired like an external object.
Every single soul, animating each living organism, has the same inherent attributes. "Inherent" means that the soul, all by its pure self, has always had and always will possess these qualities no matter what. Those of prime concern in Jain Philosophy are
1. Infinite happiness and self-reliance
Jain Center of Southern California