Jainism

Author(s): M R Gelra
Publisher: Createspace

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PREFACE
Jainism has been a living faith in India for thousands of years. The cardinal principles of Jainism propounded by twenty fourth Tirthankar Lord Mahavira twenty five centuries ago shows that the history of investigating truth and nonviolence is very old. Mahavira pursued the doctrines based on reverence of life, equanimity, and a sense of mutual interdependence. In addition to its philosophy and religion, it is surprising to find that the laws being investigated by the scientists now were investigated by Mahavira in ancient times. Further Jainism has contributed a long and significant heritage to Indian art and culture, which has kept Jainism alive through ages. As a result, in practically all parts of India, there are stone inscriptions, the remnants of sacred mounds, cave temples, 'built' Jain temples and images. Jain shastra bhandars (Libraries) and temples have preserved rich treasures of art and culture. I have tried to understand the vitality of different dimensions of Jainism and presented it in this book with scientific perspective. Though some of the principles of Jainism are repeated in more than one chapter but the contents and presentation is different.
This book contains the essentials of Jainism with a special reference to modern science, under the heading; 'Jainism in 13 chapters'.
The contents of the chapters with their ideological underpinning are as follows:
1. Prayer is founded on the enlightenment of the soul through virtues and wisdom. 2. Antiquity is founded on the era 3000-5000 B.C., the period of Indus Valley
Civilization.
3. Metaphysics is founded mainly on the concept of soul and karma 4. Matter is founded on the existence of the fine Pudgal with no mass.
5. Philosophy is founded on Anekantvad (non-absolutism) 6. Religion is founded on the principles of Non-violence (Ahimsa) and Non
possession. 7. Ethics is founded on the negation or limitation of property and possession. 8. Ecology is founded on the partnership with nature, no exploitation. 9. Culture is founded on vegetarianism and forgiving community. 10. Art is founded on the temples, manuscripts and paintings. 11. Cosmology is founded on the unbounded space and finite universe.