Jainism - Core Beliefs

• Every living being has a soul.^[15]
• Every soul is potentially divine, with innate qualities of infinite knowledge, perception, power, and bliss (masked by its karmas).
• Regard every living being as you do yourself, harming no one and being kind to all living beings.
• Every soul is born as a heavenly being, human, sub-human or hellish being according to its own karmas.
• Every soul is the architect of its own life, here or hereafter.^[16]
• When a soul is freed from karmas, it becomes free and attains divine consciousness, experiencing infinite knowledge, perception, power, and bliss.^[17]
• Right Faith (right vision), Right Knowledge and Right Conduct (triple gems of Jainism) provide the way to this realization.^[18] There is no supreme divine creator, owner, preserver or destroyer. The universe is self-regulated and every soul has the potential to achieve divine consciousness (siddha) through its own efforts.
• Navakar Mantra is the fundamental prayer in Jainism and can be recited at any time of the day. Praying by reciting this mantra, the devotee bows in respect to liberated souls still in human form (Arihantas), fully liberated souls (Siddhas), spiritual leaders (Acharyas), teachers (Upadyayas) and all the monks (sarva sadhus). By saluting them saying "namo namaha", Jains receive inspiration from them to follow their path to achieve true bliss and total freedom from the karmas binding their souls. In this main prayer, Jains do not ask for any favours or material benefits. This mantra serves as a simple gesture of deep respect towards beings who are more spiritually advanced. The mantra also reminds followers of the ultimate goal of reaching nirvana ormoksha.^[19]
• Non-violence (to be in soul consciousness rather than body consciousness) is the foundation of right view, the condition of right knowledge and the kernel of right conduct. It leads to a state of being unattached to worldly things and being nonjudgmental and non-violent; this includes compassion and forgiveness in thoughts, words and actions toward all living beings and respecting views of others (non-absolutism).
• Jainism stresses on the importance of controlling the senses including the mind, as they can drag one far away from true nature of the soul.
• Limit possessions and lead a life that is useful to yourself and others. Owning an object by itself is not possessiveness; however attachment to an object is.^[20] Non-possessiveness is the balancing of needs and desires while staying detached from our possessions.
• Enjoy the company of the holy and better qualified, be merciful to afflicted souls and tolerate the perversely inclined.^[21]
• Four things are difficult for a soul to attain: 1. human birth, 2. knowledge of the laws governing the souls, 3. absolute conviction in the philosophy of non-violence and 4. practicing it in every day life activities.
• It is therefore important not to waste human life in evil ways. Rather, strive to rise on the ladder of spiritual evolution.
• The goal of Jainism is liberation of the soul from the negative effects of unenlightened thoughts, speech and action. This goal is achieved through clearance of karmic obstructions by following thetriple gems of Jainism.
• Jains worship the icons of Jinas, Arihants and Tirthankars, who have conquered the inner passions and attained divine consciousness, and study the scriptures of these liberated beings.
• Jainism acknowledges the existence of powerful heavenly souls (Yaksha and Yakshini) that look after the well beings of Tirthankarars. Usually, they are found in pair around the icons of Jinas as male (yaksha) and female (yakshini) guardian deities. Even though they have supernatural powers, these deities are also souls wandering through the cycles of births and deaths just like most other souls. Over time, people started worshiping these deities as well.^[22]

Jainism - Introduction

Jainism (pronounced /ˈdʒaɪˌnɪz.əm/) is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state of supreme being is called Jina (Conqueror or Victor). Jainism is also referred to as Shraman (self-reliant) Dharma or the religion of Nirgantha (who does not have attachments and aversions) by ancient texts. Jainism is commonly referred to as Jain Dharma in Hindi and Samanam in Tamil.

Jainism, which its followers consider to have always existed,^[1][2][3] has prehistoric origins dating before 3000 BC, and before the beginning of Indo-Aryan culture^[4]. Organized Jainism is believed by historians to have arisen between the ninth and the sixth centuries BCE.^[5][6] Some have speculated that the religion may have its roots in much earlier times, reflecting native spirituality prior to the Indo-Aryan migration into India.^[7][8][9] In the modern world, it is a small but influential religious minority with as many as 4.2 million followers in India,^[10] and successful growing immigrant communities in North America, Western Europe, the Far East,Australia and elsewhere.^[11]

Jains have successfully sustained this longstanding religion to the present day and have significantly influenced and contributed to ethical, political and economic spheres in India. Jains have an ancient tradition of scholarship and have the highest degree of literacy in India;^[12][13] Jain libraries are the oldest in the country.^[14]Tamil Jains and Kannada Jains who are native to their regions, residing in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka respectively early since 1st century BCE,^[15] are distinguishable in some of their routines and practices from North Indian Jains, but the core philosophies and belief systems are the same for both cultures.