Jainism and the Jain Concept of God.

¶ … Jainism and the Jain concept of God. Jainism is a religion of India that is not based on the Vedas of Hinduism, and only a few Indians practice this religion (according to some about 1% of the population) ("What is Jainism?"). A Web site notes, "The name derives from a Sanskrit word meaning 'follower of the Jina, or conqueror')" ("What is Jainism?"). Their concept of God is very different from most other religions. They do not look to a savior or Creator as the leader or God of the religion, instead, the leader is a teacher. They believe a person is reborn repeatedly, and that the Jiva, or higher consciousness, can discover perfection and rise above the troubles of life on Earth. They also have no priests in their religion, although they do have monks. The religion has been in existence since the sixth century BC, so it has lasted for centuries, which shows the tenacity of its followers.

Jains believe that every soul on Earth has the capability to be divine, which is one reason they do not believe in a higher power. They believe they can move though different levels of enlightenment to reach the "supreme abode," which is the ultimate Heaven, although there are other levels of afterlife underneath the supreme abode ("Jainism"). They also believe in total non-violence against every living thing, even insects. They also believe that the world is full of beings that cannot be seen, tiny microscopic beings. Author Fisher continues, "A single drop of water contains three thousand living beings" (Fisher 116). To kill anything, even the tiniest insect, will bring bad karma on the killer. Because of this, they are vegetarians, and they must work in occupations that do not harm any living things. They believe that even rocks, plants, and the earth are limited sensory beings, and that they suffer if they are hurt, so they attempt to go through life without damaging anything as much as possible.

This religion follows several ethical pillars that are extremely important to the believers. One of the most important is Karma, which to the Jains is actually a real article made up of pieces of matter that each person gathers as they move through life. One author notes, "Mahavira likened karma to coats of clay that weigh down the soul" (Fisher 116). Karma forms the basis of the pillars, and Jains try very hard not to gather karma during their lives by avoiding violence, not accumulating possessions, and practicing autocracy.

They reach "eternal bliss" by following certain principles. The first is "Ahimsa," the practice of non-violence in all forms, "mental, verbal, and physical" ("Jainism"). Next is "Satya," which is always telling the truth. Next is "Asteya" not to steal from anyone. Next is "Brahma-charya" which is remaining faithful to your spouse, and finally is "Aparigraha" which is not being dependent on others, locations, and especially material things. They do not believe in excess or over-indulgence. These principles guide their daily lives and are extremely important in their religion.