Essays in this volume offer fesh insights into jain principles of ahimsa and anekanta by examining their meaning and historical significance, and demonstrate their relevance and role in addressing contemporary issues of. After two hundred years of vain efforts and of spending millions of dollars with the prestige of the conqueror and backed by british bayonets, christianity is not supported by the converts themselves. Ahimsa is also an important part of patanjali yoga, in which ahimsa is the first of five yamas moral restraints, along with satya truthfulness, asteya nonstealing, brahmacarya sexual abstinence, and aparigraha freedom. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Items related to ahimsa, anekanta and jainism history books. The texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the agamas, and are the canonical literature the scriptures of svetambara jainism mahaviras disciples compiled his. Ahimsa anekanta and jainism by tara sethia at vedic books. The primary reason for the rise of these religions was the religious unrest at that time in the country. She is the editor of ahimsa, anekanta and jainism 2004 and is working on a book on gandhi. His contributions to jain studies span nearly 60 years.
Books on jainism and jain philosophy hindu website. The central tenet of jainism is ahimsa nonviolence and respect towards all living beings. She teaches history of india, gandhi, women in asia, and nonviolence in world history. While several religions practice nonviolence and peace as a fundamental principle, jainism is unique in extending this principle to all jivas living beings. Indeed one of the bestknown hindu books in the west is the kama sutra, a manual for sexual activity. Jainism introduction yale forum on religion and ecology. Jainism is properly the name of one of the religious traditions that have their origin in the. Ahimsa nonviolence ahimsa means nonviolence or noninjury.
Ahimsa in jainism, buddhism and hinduism slideshare. It is a key virtue in hinduism, buddhism and jainism ahimsa is one of the cardinal virtues of jainism, where it is first of the pancha mahavrata. One more thing is that jainism s number of followers have declined through the. Karma is understood in jainism to be a complexity of material particles that bond to the soul through the activities of mind, body, and speech that either extend or shorten the duration of the souls embodied, physical existence. The book presents jainism in a way that is authentic and engaging to specialists and nonspecialists alike. The jiva or atman is a philosophical term used within jainism to identify the soul. Jain texts expound that there are ten life essentials or lifeprinciples, these are. Discover book depositorys huge selection of tara sethia books online. He also lectured on the ramayana he was a proponent of preserving historical nature of ancient temples. Kama refers primarily to aesthetic pleasure, such as the enjoyment of music, drama, dance, painting, sculpture, and so on.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The elements of nature were described as living beings and under the fundamental principle of ahimsa these were to be protected in all ways no waste, no overuse, no abuse, no. Jain philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. The present book entitled environmental awareness in jainism is the second of the series of the publication under the above endowment fund by the department of jainology. Click download or read online button to get jainism book now. The three basic principles jains adopt to avoid the accumulation of karma is nonviolence ahimsa, nonattachment aparigraha, and nonabsolutism anekantwad living 124. Followers of this religion which believes in renunciation and harmlessness are called jains, and there are about 4 million jains worldwide. It also plays an important role in hinduism, buddhism, christianity, islam, and other religions, but none of them has given this principle such a prominent position, especially in the practice of religion. Jiva and ajiva jain reality comprises two components, jiva soul, or living substance and ajiva nonsoul, or inanimate substance. Jains believe that the only way to save ones own soul is to protect every other soul, and so the most central jain teaching, and the heart of jain ethics, is that of ahimsa nonviolence.
Jun 26, 2015 once spiritual nonviolence is attained, the body and mind follow effortlessly sharma 58. My brothers and sisters of america, there is not the least shadow of hope that india can ever be christianised. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Ahinsa in jainism is a fundamental principle forming the cornerstone of its ethics and doctrine. There is no doubt that if the three anuvratas of jainism namely ahimsa, anekanta and aparigraha are understood and practiced at the individual level then the universal environmental crisis can be reduced by itself. Ahimsa is about the intent, rather than the action itself. This book is a brief introduction to the jain religion, including a close look at its inception and how it evolved over time to its present day status. The first book of this endowment series titled facets of jainism was published in january 2005 which was a compilation of 9 papers related to jainism in tamilnadu. Difference between jainism and hinduism compare the.
Jainism and hinduism have many similar characteristic features, including the concepts of samsara, karma and moksha. The other religions also speak of ahimsa whenever convenient but they never offer such loyalty to the principle of ahimsa as is found in jainism. Tara sethia is professor of history and director of ahimsa center at. Jainism believes in the hindu law of karma that from good must come good and from evil, evil. We have certain scriptures which are considered as very sacred. If we can lessen the pain and suffering of those around us why not choose that option instead of needlessly perpetuating the neverending cycle of violent. Jainism emphasizes nonviolence, or ahimsa, as the only true path that leads to.
Our intention behind our actions of body, mind, and speech bind us with karma. Jains see these texts, which are the transcriptions of lord mahavirs sermons, as sacred documents. Hence, the jain religion does not have one sacred book like the bible or koran, but it has many books complied by many followers. As per the jain cosmology, jiva or soul is the principle of sentience and is one of the tattvas or one of the fundamental substances forming part of the universe.
The aim of jain life is to achieve liberation of the soul. In fact, the householders are supposed to evolve to the monkhood in the later stages of life as was the case with the hinduism in the vedic era. While several religions practice nonviolence and peace as a fundamental principle, jainism is unique in. According to karl potter, the jain anekantavada doctrine emerged in a milieu that included buddhists and hindus in ancient and medieval india.
Jainism is an indian religion that emphasizes complete nonviolence and asceticism. Jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta,the quran or the bible. Some were really excellent and engaging, others a bit more difficult to work through. In this way, seemingly contradictory assertions can be reconciled as being from different perspectives and in different senses. Ahimsa, aparigrapha, and anekantwad, and other characteristics in addition to finding an ethical occupation, jainism emphasizes three major teachings about the purification of the soul jiva. The hindu mystic patanjali wrote a scripture called the yoga sutras, where he outlines yamas restraints, or what one should not do and niyamas observances, or what one should do. The jain principle of ahimsa nonviolence and ecology this is the revised text of a lecture delivered at the institute of oriental philosophy on november 30, 2012 sohan lal jain gandhi crumbling ecosystem and humanity t hough ahimsa, the basic tenet of jainism, has been in vogue since. Jainism holy books containing the teachings of mahavira. Hinduism, jainism, and sikhism fuller flashcards quizlet. He was also an expert on urdu poetry, which is unusual for a jain scholar. Ahimsa, anekantavada and aparigraha panacea for the ills. Thanks to them, the heart of jainism has been preserved.
Fundamental beliefs of jainism the soul is bounded by karma from the beginning of time the principles governing the successions of life cycles birth, life, and death is karma. Environmental degradation which is the evil of modern times can be solved by man alone as he is the nucleus to the crisis. The first major vow taken by jains is to love and cause no harm to other living beings. A selected list of books on jainism, jain history, jaina philosophy, practices. Michael tobias has described nonviolance ahimsa in great details. It is also the first of the five precepts of buddhism. Ahimsa means harming no living being as well as protecting all living beings from harm.
Christianity believes that there is a higher power. The basic tenets of jainism are explained in three great principles namely nonviolence or ahimsa, nonpossession or apraigraha and nonabsolutism or anekanta. The jain principle of ahimsa nonviolence and ecology. Jain texts such as acaranga sutra and tattvarthasutra state that one must. When we compare the vast amount of similarities between the buddha and mahavira and buddhism and jainism, it is possible that the differences were even less in early buddhism. Ahimsa an important concept found in buddhism, hinduism and jainism ahimsa sanskrit. Jainism is an ancient indian religion known as jain dharma. The cardinal rule of interaction with other jivas is the rule of ahimsa. Such an important book since so few books on eastern philosophy cover the same ground found in the pages covering anekanta. Jainism is anekantavada or anekantatva, a word derived from anekanta not one. Jainworld is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of jain tradition of wisdom, compassion, equality, brotherhood, universal wellbeing and spirituality. The first five types of dravyas are called astikayas those exist and have different pradesas or areas like the body and the last is named anastikaya. Pleasure, one of the four encouraged goals of life in hinduism.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Nonviolence, ahimsa, is the central doctrine of jainism. Ahimsa, anekantavada and aparigraha panacea for the ills of. Nonviolence is a kind of goddess according to mahavira. By far the most important tenet of jainism is the principle of ahimsa or non injury. The agam sutras show great reverence for all forms of life and strict codes of vegetarianism, asceticism, nonviolence, and opposition to war. She is professor of history and director of ahimsa center at california state polytechnic university in pomona. Contributors to this book bring perspectives from the disciplines of philosophy, religious studies, history and art.
Christopher key chapple loyola marymout university. These texts are collectively known as agams, the sacred books of the jain religion. The conference was the first major undertaking of the ahimsa center at calpoly, pomona, an interdisciplinary center founded by sethia to encourage both the study and application of ahimsa and nonviolence. Jain quotations on the environment lord mahavira preached about the environment in the first book of acharanga sutra, which is accepted, as his direct words. The origin of this name is debated may come from the moral principles outlined by the founder or from the number of persons comprising the earliest disciples. Ahimsa the concept of nonharming in hinduism mahavidya. Pathological impact of sic environment of professions prohibited by jain acaryas. View an annotated pdf version of this bibliography. Some of the above terms are also used in buddhist philosophy, but with meanings that are quite different.
Contributors to this book bring perspectives from the disciplines of philosophy, religious studies, history and art history. If one looks at other aspects of the jain religious worldview, in. The essays in ahimsa, anekanta and jainism emerged from a 2002 conference at california state polytechnic university at pomona. Jain texts expound that there are ten life essentials or life principles, these are. Difference between jainism and hinduism difference between. Ultimate goal of life is eternal release from karma. Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley dating back to 3000 b.
It is closely connected with the notion that all kinds. In the history of world religions, jainism alone has given a unique position to the doctrine of ahimsa and has based its ethical code entirely on the complete observance of the tenet of. Karma is the metaphysical category that accounts for the relationship of transcendental cause and effect in the world due to ones actions. These texts are the holy scriptures of the jain religion. The holy book of jainism is a collection of texts known as agam literature or the agam sutras. If we can lessen the pain and suffering of those around us why not choose that option instead of needlessly. The doctrine of jainism has minor similarities with the nyayavaisheshika and samkhya school. Terapanthis newest reformist movement, founded in 1817 by swami bhikkanji maharaj.
For a householder observing the small vows, the practice of ahimsa requires that one not kill any animal life. Ahimsa does not merely indicate absence of physical violence, but also indicates absence of desire to indulge in any sort of violence. Jainism arose as a systematic response to human and animal violence by positing a radical alternativethe path of ahimsa or nonviolence. The insights he shared during the next thirty years were gathered into fortyfive books known as agamas. According to jainism, protection of life, also known as abhayadanam, is the supreme charity that a person can make. Koller probes the jain theory of manysidedness anekanta as an antidote to. Underlying jain epistemology is the idea that reality is multifaceted anekanta. Ahimsa is the first of the vows taken by both jain householders and monks. In one of the sutras, he spoke of ahimsa in this way.
Dravya in jainism is of six kinds, namely, jiva soul, ajiva nonsoul, dharma principle of motion, adharma principle of rest, akasa space, and kala time. The jains accord great reverence to all living things and killing of any form of life is strictly forbidden. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Furthermore, the earliest buddhist texts discuss jainism in some detail. Jainism and hinduism may have coexisted at one point in the history of world religions, but they are different when it comes to the beliefs and concepts of creator, universe, animal sacrifices, moksha or liberation, karma and of course the meaning of human life. A less than favorable light is also portrayed to the founder of jainism, mahavira. According to this doctrine, all philosophical statements should be predicated with the particle syat from a certain perspective, to capture the relative nature of the truth claim. Essays in this volume offer fresh insights into jain principles of ahimsa and anekanta by examining their meaning and historical significance, and demonstrating their relevance and role in addressing contemporary issues of intolerance, conflict, violence, and war. A jain approach to religious tolerancepaul dundas123 religious dissonance and. The diverse hindu schools such as nyayavaisheshika, samkhyayoga and mimamsavedanta, all accepted the premise of atman that unchanging permanent soul. Jainism lays heavy emphasis on nonviolence ahimsa and the believers of this religion, whether a monk or a householder, follow a very strict, well disciplined life. Syadvada is the jain doctrine of conditional predication.
Living beings need not fear those who have taken the vow of ahimsa. Mahavira matured his consciousness during twelve and a half years of silence, meditation, and fasting practices. Pandit niraj jain 31 october 1926 27 march 20 was a scholar of jainism, archaeologist, poet and speaker. The living beings do not have any fear from those who have taken the vow of ahimsa. Essays in this volume offer fresh insights into jain principles of ahimsa and anekanta by examining their meaning and historical significance, and demonstrate their relevance and role in addressing contemporary issues of intolerance, conflict, violence and war. In the sixth century bc, india witnessed the rise of two new religions jainism and buddhism. The jain literature which was complied by ganadharas and srutkevlis is known as agam literature. Ahimsa is a rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings.
There is a holy trinity, god the father, his son, and the holy spirit. Jan 18, 20 ahimsa in jainism, buddhism and hinduism 1. Sep 11, 2009 you may think that there is a high degree of selfinterest in the doctrine of ahimsa, because in jainism harm done to other beings is considered harm to oneself since it attracts much karma and. The world of jainism this is the best book on jainism. Bibliography jainism religion yale forum on religion. That legacy is the subject of this remarkable collection of thirteen essays beautifully edited by dr. Anekanta part1 anekanta part2 antiquity of jainism. Essays in this volume offer fesh insights into jain principles of ahimsa and anekanta by examining their meaning and historical significance, and demonstrate their relevance and role in addressing contemporary issues of intolerance, conflict, violence and war. Essays in this volume offer fesh insights into jain principles of ahimsa and anekanta by examining their meaning and historical significance, and demonstrate. Ahimsa teaches that all life in all forms is valuable and therefore should not be destroyed or injured. These essays contain piercing and prescriptive approaches to grappling, according to jain tradition, with current geopolitics, particularly in the wake of terrorist. Special attention will be given to how jain ideals such as ahimsa and anekantavada the doctrine of non onesidedness can serve as a much needed and welcome panacea to the worlds strife and. However, they differ over the precise nature and meaning of these concepts. In jainism, ahimsa is the standard by which all actions are judged.
77 31 748 891 515 1150 897 779 300 368 556 1045 1447 950 156 743 824 339 451 509 1515 670 583 1509 194 776 1255 990 1213 847 68 1352 1102 8 505 810