Jainism

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Jainism is a non-theistic religion whose ultimate goal is to rise through the spiritual ladder in successive incarnations to reach the state of godhood called Jina (meaning soul, or life), one who has achieved perfect liberation from the bondage of Karma.^[1] 24 of the spirits that have risen to this level during this time period are identified and referred to as tirthankaras, the oldest (at a YEC-challenging 592 quintillion years) being Lord Rishabha,^[2] the youngest (a mere spring chicken at just over 2600 years) being Mahavira.^[3] Tirthankaras are regarded as capable of helping humans achieve liberation.

Basics of Jainism[edit]

• The followers of Jainism are called Jains.
• Jainism is not based on any other religion. However, many Jains observe the holy days of Hinduism and revere the Hindu religious figures. Furthermore, Buddha statuettes are a common feature in the homes of Jain families.
• Jains do not believe in God or that the universe was ever created (in their view it is eternal). Jain texts were among the earliest recorded to have formulated a problem of evil against God's existence (see below for the quote).
• Time has no beginning or end, and one's soul lasts forever. The soul moves to another body upon death of the previous body until true liberation from Karma is reached, becoming a pure untethered soul.
• There is a practice of non-violence toward any living creature, as all living beings have souls, but Jains can eat vegetables, as they are only a "one-sense living being."^[4] Yes, vegetables have a sense of touch. Surprisingly, this is wrong for the opposite reason than you might assume.
• Some devout Jains only eat food that has grown above ground, such as berries, apples, etc. out of fear that farming and eating some vegetables will kill animals such as worms or other organisms in the soil. This strict diet therefore excludes many staples of other cuisine, such as onions or garlic, making Jain food extremely boring.
• The swastika is a holy symbol, but is not to be confused with the Nazi version. It symbolizes a cycle of destinies: heavenly beings, human, hell beings, and other beings (plants, animals, etc.).
• The universe is shaped like a man with his hands at his waist and legs spread. In the head are the celestial beings (those who have achieved liberation). Above the waist are the heavens. Below the waist is hell. At the waist are the humans.^[5] That explains why some humans are assholes.
• Jains tend to live in a closely-knit (read: closed) society. Arranged marriages are still common (albeit less so in communities based outside of India), and are often between cousins. Marriage outside of the culture is frowned upon. This level of inbreeding can lead to genetic disorders, such as high incidences of diabetes or skin problems.

Ethical code[edit]

There are five things all Jains should remember to follow in their daily lives:^[6]

• Ahimsa (non-violence)
• Satya (speaking the truth)
• Asteya (non-stealing)
• Brahmacharya (chastity or faithfulness to a spouse)
• Aparigraha (non-attachment)

Fable[edit]

Perhaps the most famous contribution to come out of Jainism is the story of the six blind men feeling an elephant. Each blind man feels a different part of the elephant and declares that elephants are different objects, e.g., one feels the ears and declares that elephants are fans, the tail a rope, the leg a pillar, the side a wall, the tusk a pipe, and the trunk a tree branch. They all argue with each other, even though everyone is "correct", because they all feel different parts of the truth. It's a quite popular (and effective!) tale for getting people to understand that their own point of view is not the absolute and entire truth.

Of course upon hearing the story, six blind elephants decided to determine what a "human" was, and after stepping on one they all agreed that "human" was a type of pancake.

And then religious apologists decided that it somehow proves their specific religion true because the story assumes someone who can see the whole elephant.^[7]

References[edit]