Jainism?

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**Does anyone here know any Jainists? Appreently my cardiologist is one…His wife died a couple of days ago, and since we plan to go to her funeral, we looked in the paper to see where it was to be held…It seems that it will be at the only Jainist Temple in Ohio…right here in the Cincinanti area. **
I did look the subject up on the web, and do remeber studying it in a World Religions class in college, but still feel that I don’t really have a handle on it.
Apparently the religion is entirely man made (they point this out), and is over 4,000 years old. A cousin of Hinduism, I think…at least a heresy of Hinduism, from what I have read.
Anyone have any other information? I am looking forward to seeing what a Jainist funeral service looks like…Oh yes…They stress honesty, detachment from the world’s goods, peaceful living…no violence…love, and vegetarianism.
I know my doctor is a practicing Janist, because he forgare the $23,000 I owed him…Said “I make enough money”…A very kind man.
Actually, I thought he was a Chistian, so I was shocked to find that he belongs to an ancient Eastern religion.
 
From my limited library, Jainism appears to have been started back about 525 BC by an itinerant preacher. The story of his “revelation” is astonishing smiliar to Buddha’s story: get born well off, become an ascetic, wander around barefoot for 30 years wondering why life is so hard, then decide that the best way to end all pain and suffering is to achieve detachment from all things.

Unlike Buddhism, which has the Four Noble Truths and the Eight fold path, most Jains follow a set of five vows, which include :
  1. Nonviolence (Ahimsa) not to cause harm to any living beings
  2. Truthfulness (Satya) to speak the harmless truth only
  3. Non-stealing (Asteya)not to take anything not properly given
  4. Chastity (Brahmacharya) not to indulge in sensual pleasure
  5. Non-possession/Non-attachment (Aparigraha) complete detachment from people, places, and material things.
Apparently they do allow marriage, so I’m, not sure about vow #4 if one is married… Hmmmmm. :confused:

From what I can tell, they not only do not have a god, they reject the notion of there being a god of any kind: they believe there is no creator, no savior, and no one to worship. They also appear to believe in or at least tolerate the idea of mulitple reincarnations. 😦

Basically, they are very much like Buddhists.
 
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Makerteacher:
From my limited library, Jainism appears to have been started back about 525 BC by an itinerant preacher. The story of his “revelation” is astonishing smiliar to Buddha’s story: get born well off, become an ascetic, wander around barefoot for 30 years wondering why life is so hard, then decide that the best way to end all pain and suffering is to achieve detachment from all things.

Unlike Buddhism, which has the Four Noble Truths and the Eight fold path, most Jains follow a set of five vows, which include :
  1. Nonviolence (Ahimsa) not to cause harm to any living beings
  2. Truthfulness (Satya) to speak the harmless truth only
  3. Non-stealing (Asteya)not to take anything not properly given
  4. Chastity (Brahmacharya) not to indulge in sensual pleasure
  5. Non-possession/Non-attachment (Aparigraha) complete detachment from people, places, and material things.
Apparently they do allow marriage, so I’m, not sure about vow #4 if one is married… Hmmmmm. :confused:

From what I can tell, they not only do not have a god, they reject the notion of there being a god of any kind: they believe there is no creator, no savior, and no one to worship. They also appear to believe in or at least tolerate the idea of mulitple reincarnations. 😦

Basically, they are very much like Buddhists.
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Thanks for the information…The research I’ve been doing confirms all you have said.

The “service” was a simple one…mostly songs and chants…no readings of eulogy…Although there were chairs, most people sat on the rug covered floor. Men and women sat on opposite sides of the space. Most wore white, which I understand is a sign of the liberal branch of the religion…The conservatives wear the “atmosphere” (nothing).

**The building was very simple, too. No AC, but there were ceiling fans, and the doors and windows were open…So, in spite of the hot and humid weather we were quite comfortable. **

**The service lasted a little over an hour, and was followed by an outdoor reception…Also very simple. No alcohol…People were given cold bottles of water to drink. The meal was simple, but very good. **

**I wish I could have understood the songs and chanting…I was wondering if they had anything to do with grief or death…I do know that some ot the music was the favorite of the deceased. **

The Jains do believer in reincarnation…Up to five lives, I think…could be wrong on that.

Anyway, it was an interesting experience. Neither I, nor my husband and a friend who went with us had ever expereinced anything like it.
 
From what I’ve read, they will sometimes be seen carrying a broom to sweep ahead of their path, so that they don’t accidentally step on an ant. They also sometimes wear masks to avoid accidentally breathing in any insects. This all goes along with destroying no life, number one on the list above.

That’s the general concept, but to “destroy no life” (the wording I’ve seen) is pretty tricky for a cardiologist, who must prescribe antibiotics and use antiseptic agents on the skin prior to surgery. I suspect that as knowledge of tiny critters such as bacteria became known over the past century or two, they probably adapted their understanding of that concept, to limit it to visible animals (and plants?), but exclude microscopic pathogens.
 
There are about 3 million Jains worldwide, most of whom live in India. Although Mahatma Gandhi was not a Jain, he adopted the Jain principle of non-violence (ahimsa). As Buddhists follow the Buddha, the Enlightened One, the Jains follow the Jina (conqueror). a title applied to Vardhamana, last of the great Jain teachers. Jainism probably arose as a splinter group from Buddhism during the ferment of the 6th cetury B.C. Vardhamana the Mahavira (Great Hero) is identified with Nigantha Nataputta in Buddhist scriptures as an opponent of the Buddha. The goal of Jainism is to attain a full, clear, and unimpeded knowledge and intuition known as kevala. Such a perfected soul is called *kevalin. *By achieving this state, the successful Jain follows the Mahavira in releasing himself from the forces of *karma *that bind him to the wheel of rebirth. One peculiarity of Jainism is that some followers (the ascetics) wander around India without wearing any clothing. The Jain ascetic or monk takes 5 great vows: 1) total non-violence, 2) truthfulness, 3) non-stealing, 4) chastity, and 5) the renouncing of love any person or thing. Among the promises a Jain layman should strive to keep are: 1) to meditate at least 3 times a day, 2) to live like a monk at least 6 times a month, 3) to avoid uncooked vegetables, 4) to eat only left-overs, 5) to keep away from his own wife–move over, Al Bundy–, and 6) to refrain from eating between sunset and sunrise.
 
We saw no brooms or masks, but then this was, I think the white wearing liberal branch of Janisinism.

One other thing…They tend to live simply, and to try to be detached from worldly things…As I have noted, my cardiologist simply dismissed my twenty-threee thousand bill (we had no insurance), saying “I make enough money”. We were stunned!

These are very kind people, and it was a joy to be among them.
 
Jainism has three principles:
  1. Ahimsa: non-violence. Pretty much all Jains are, therefore, vegetarian; and the more ascetic among them even exclude certain kinds of vegetables (like potatoes) from their diet. Monks and nuns tend to be the ones who sweep before their feet, or wear mouth-masks to prevent breathing in life-forms.
  2. Aparigraha: non-attachment to possessions and attitudes. For lay-people, it means constant awareness that material things and mental ideas can never bring everlasting pleasure. Some monks (limited to India) even dispense with clothing.
  3. Relative pluralism: non-enlightened humans can see only one side of reality, which is many-sided. (However, enlightenment brings omniscience, the ability to see all sides.) Thus, Jains tend to seek common understanding amidst conflicting views.
 
Post # 7…

Eat only left-overs??? How is that possible?

Mom of 5
 
Mom of 5:
Post # 7…

Eat only left-overs??? How is that possible?

Mom of 5
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I think the statement is inverted: Jains should not eat “left-overs”. But by “left-overs”, Jains mean foods that have deteriotated or have been kept for too long, so that the taste, smell, or feel have changed and deteriorated. These foods are thought to be harmful to one’s bodily and mental health. (And since Jain’s practice ahimsa, or “non-harming,” eating such foods is prohibited – certainly for monks, and as much as possible for lay-people.)
 
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Timidity:
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CD4:
Originally Posted by CD4
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			*Actually, I thought he was a Chistian, so I was shocked to find that he belongs to an ancient Eastern religion.*
:rotfl:
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What’s so funny?

Oh, I get it…
Christianity **is **an ancient eastern religion. 😃
 
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