Jainism and its philosophy

This PPT describes the beginning of Jainism,early life and preaching of Lord Mahavir, 3 path, 5 great vows and daily life of a Jain. The PPT also gives an insight on the literature, prayer and some debatable issued under Jainism.

1. Jainism and its Philosophy “Live and Let Live” Presented by- Pooja.P Advocate Pooja Jain, Advocate

2. Early life of Lord Mahavir Mahavir was born on the 13 th day of rising moon of Chaitra month, 599 B.C. in the state of Bihar, India. This day falls in the month of April as per English calendar. His birthday is celebrated as Mahavir Jayanti day . Unlike Buddhism, Lord Mahavir is not the founder of Jainism before him already Tirthankaras were in existence. Mahavir was a prince and was given the name Vardhaman by his parents At the age of 30, he left his family and royal household, gave up his worldly possessions. He spent the next twelve years in deep silence and meditation to conquer his desires and feelings . At the age of 72 (527 B.C.), Lord Mahavir died and his purified soul left the body and achieved complete liberation Pooja Jain, Advocate

3. Lord Mahavir and his life He became a Siddha , a pure consciousness, a liberated soul, living for ever in a state of complete bliss. On the night of his salvation, people celebrated the Festival of Lights ( Dipavali ) in his honor . Lord Mahavir was the 24 th and last Tirthankara (spiritual guide or a Messenger) of the Jain religion of this era. He organized his followers, into a four fold order, namely monk ( Sadhu ), nun ( Sadhvi ), layman ( Shravak ), and laywoman ( Shravika ).

4. Jain Philosophy Root word is Jina – means the one who has conquered inner enemies, which are anger, ego, deceit and greed Jainism believes in Godhood but does not believe God to be the First Cause. God is not a Creator, Preserver or Destroyer of the universe. “God” does not Punish or Reward  Each person is responsible for improving life by one’s self- endeavor Jains have always practiced non-violence, vegetarianism, meditation, yoga, and environmentalism.

5. Preaching's of Lord Mahavir Mahavir was quite successful in eradicating from human intellect the caste system and conception of God as creator, protector, and destroyer. He also denounced the worship of gods and goddesses as a means of salvation. He taught the idea of supremacy of human life and stressed the importance of the positive attitude of life. Lord Mahavir also preached the gospel of universal love, emphasizing that all living beings, irrespective of their size, shape, and form how spiritually developed or under-developed, are equal and we should love and respect them. B oth men and women are on an equal footing. The Digambara  sect of Jainism believes that women must be reborn as men in order to achieve liberation . The Swetambar  sect, however, disagrees with this position, holding that one of the tirtankara ,   Mallinath , was a woman  and even today the majority of Svetambara monastics are female . [ The idols of 24 Tirthankaras in the temple are the same because they represent the quality and virtues of Tirthankaras not the physical body. Pooja Jain, Advocate

6. Three path to liberation Right faith ( samyak-darshana )-Rational Vision, Right knowledge ( samyak-jnana )-Rational Knowledge, and R ight conduct ( samyak-charitra )-Rational lifestyle All three together will help attain the liberation of one's self

7. Right conduct-5 great Vows  Nonviolence (Ahimsa) - not to cause harm to any living beings- Maan , Vachan & Kaya Non- absolutness ( Anekantavad ) -Strengthens the autonomy of life of every being Truthfulness ( Satya ) - to speak the harmless truth only &Non-stealing ( Asteya ) - not to take anything not properly given  Non-possession/Non-attachment ( Aparigraha ) - complete detachment from people, places, and material things . Chastity ( Brahmacharya ) - not to indulge in sensual pleasure Pooja Jain, Advocate

8. Jainism & Environmentalism Non-Possessiveness / Aparigraha Self-restraint is the second most important Jain principle. Minimizing consumption provides respect for others’ life and environment. Reuse / Recycle Products – Do not waste the gifts of nature.  Share resources. Nature provides enough for our NEED, but not enough for our GREED.  Pooja Jain, Advocate

9. Vegetarianism Vegetarianism is a lifestyle for a Jain, taking its starting point in the idea of sympathy for living creatures, Jiva Daya . While the Jain eating routine does, obviously, include mischief to plants, it is viewed as a method for survival which includes the absolute minimum measure of brutality towards living creatures. (Many types of plant material, including roots and certain organic products, are likewise prohibited from the Jain eating routine because of the more prominent number of living creatures they contain attributable to the earth in which they create.) . Practically, it is impossible to survive without killing or injuring some of the smallest living beings. Some lives are killed even when we breathe, drink water, or eat food. Therefore, Jainism says that minimum killing of the lowest form of life should be our ideal for survival . Other important aspects of the Jain philosophy of food includes eating food before sundown, mainly to spare the creatures that come out in the dark and eating fresh and healthy Pooja Jain, Advocate

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11. Difference between Jainism and Hinduism: Jainism questioned the Vedas, Caste Sytem and existence of God . As far as Jainism is concerned, it does not believe in caste system. It does not differentiate people on the basis of their caste. It believes that all souls are equal and each soul has the power to attain moksha . Therefore, anyone, irrespective of his caste or creed, can follow Jainism. Jainism believes that one’s actions are important, not the family where a person is born Pooja Jain, Advocate

12. Difference between Jainism and Hinduism Hindus offer worship to many forms of one God, the creator and preserver of the world, Jains do not believe in the concept of an eternal God or a creator of the world. Jains regard the world itself as eternal . Additionally, Jain rituals, temples, places of pilgrimage, fasting and festivals differ significantly from those in Hinduism. Pooja Jain, Advocate

13. Prayer Jain prayers aren't like the God-focussed prayers  Instead Jain prayers tend to recall the great qualities of the tirthankaras and remind the individual of various teachings. Pooja Jain, Advocate

14. Prayer of Jain religion Every day Jains bow their heads and say their universal prayer, the Navkar -mantra. All good work and events start with this prayer of salutation and worship.   Namo Arihantanam : - I bow to the enlightened souls   Namo Siddhanam : - I bow to the liberated souls   Namo Ayariyanam : - I bow to religious leaders   Namo Uvajjayanam : - I bow to religious teachers   Namo Loe Savva Sahunam : - I bow to all monks of the world Eso Panch Namukkaro :   - These five salutations are capable of Savva Pava Panasano :    destroying all the sins and this is Mangalancha Savvesin    the first happiness among all forms Padhamam Havai Mangalam :   of happiness. In the above prayer, Jains do not ask for any favors or material benefits from their Gods, the Tirthankaras or from monks and nuns. They do not pray to a specific Tirthankara or monk by name. By saluting them, Jains receive the inspiration from the five benevolent for the right path of true happiness and total freedom from the misery of life. Pooja Jain, Advocate

15. Pratikramana ( Samayika ): meditation Pratikramana means turning back. It is a form of meditation where one reflects on his spiritual journey and renews his faith. For both Swetambaras and Digambaras , it takes the form of periodic meditation. The period can be twice daily (morning and evening), once every lunar phase, every four months, or every year. By tradition certain postures are recommended for Pratikramana . Pooja Jain, Advocate

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17. Jain Literature Jain literature is classified into two major categories: Agam Literature This consists of original scriptures complied by Gandharas and Srut-kevalis . They are written in the Prakrit language. Non- agam Literature This consists of commentary and explanation of Agam literature and independent works, complied by elder monks, nuns, and scholars. They are written in many languages such as Prakrit , Sanskrit, Old Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannad , Tamil, German, and English. Pooja Jain, Advocate

18. DEBATABLE ISSUES UNDER JAINISIM Pooja Jain, Advocate

19. Bal Diksha Bal diksha  or the induction of minors in monastic order is criticised as violation of children's rights. Gujarat high court advised the state and central government to bring legislation to curb the practice .   Since 1955, four attempts to get a legislative bill against  Bal diksha  passed in Parliament have failed. Pooja Jain, Advocate

20. Sallekhna / Santhara Sallekhna : It is the religious vow of gradually reducing the intake of food and liquids observed by terminally ill or old Jain disciples. It is widely called fasting unto death as there is a reduction in food intake In August 2015, Rajasthan High Court cited that the practice is not an essential tenet of Jainism and banned the practice, making it punishable under section 306 and 309 IPC (Abetment of Suicide ).  But a few days later, The  Supreme Court  stayed the High Court's order . Pooja Jain, Advocate

21. THANK YOU Pooja Jain, Advocate