Jainism dates back to sixth century B.C. Its founder, Mahavira, is a contemporary of Buddha. Like Buddhism, Jainism also rose partly in reaction to the ritualism which marked Vedic religion. Elements of Jain teaching such as ahimsa, including opposition to animal sacrifices found expression even during Vedic period. Mahavira like Buddha admitted people from different ranks of society into Jainism. Unlike Buddhism, Jainism has survived in India throughout history despite the vicissitudes it faced. This is due to the strict adherence of Jains to their religious discipline. In Jainism, strict moral discipline is seen as the route to salvation. In its course, Jainism separated into two sects – Swetambaras and Digambaras. Swetambaras wear clothes, and Digambaras go without them.
Ahimsa is a core moral principle of Jainism. It lays down that no existent being with life or the essence or potential of life should be injured. Injury is defined as its destruction, subjection or denial of its living essence or potential. Jain principle of Ahimsa in turn follows from the fact that sentient creatures are vulnerable to pain and sorrow. Just as pain and sorrow are undesirable to human beings, so are they to other creatures which breathe, live and possess the essence of or potential for life.
For a Jain, life is a spiritual odyssey towards divine consciousness. This state is attained when men secure release from the bonds of karma. Ratnatraya or three ornaments open the path to salvation. These are—Samyak darshan or right faith, Samyak Jnana or right knowledge and Samyak charitra or right conduct. The ultimate objective of spiritual efforts is to find freedom from the misery of the world in which one’s soul is enmeshed.
Jainism prescribes moral principles both for householders and monks. The codes for monks are more rigorous. The five common moral principles applicable both to monks and householders consist of: refraining from violence towards any living things; speaking the truth; refraining from theft; shunning adultery; and eschewing greed for material wealth.
We need to briefly elaborate the five moral ideas as understood in Jainism. As we saw before, killing or hurting any living creature constitutes violence. Life in nature is equal; harming big or small animal life is equally bad. Violence includes not only physical injury to others but also emotional harm through bad behaviour or offensive language. Jainism accepts that householders cannot lead a life which causes no harm at all to sentient beings. A householder must therefore try to minimize the injury he causes to others. Eating animal flesh in any form is strictly forbidden.
Jain conception of truth means faithful rendering of the visual and verbal evidence in one’s possession. One cannot depart from truth even for saving oneself. This injunction is similar to Kant’s Categorical Imperative which is absolutely inviolable. However, one can make an exception to this rule from an altruistic angle with a view to prevent harm to others.
The concept of stealing is wider than its current legal meaning. It includes directly stealing something or asking others to steal it. Use of false measures or weights, and receiving of stolen property are also forms of stealing. One should return, when he finds any lost property, to its owner. Keeping such property for one’s use is a form of theft.
The fourth principle enjoins that a married person should not cast covetous glances at women.
He should treat them respectfully. This rule of Brahmacharya applies to all men.
The fifth ethical principle urges men to curb their acquisitive instincts. Naturally, a householder needs a minimum income and wealth to support his family. He should not, however, get greedy and develop an inordinate love for wealth. This propensity invariably leads to dissatisfaction and suffering. Households should restrain their wants, and lead a simple, contented life.
The concept of God or a supreme being governing the universe is lacking in Jainism. The world, in its view, is governed by natural laws. In this regard, Jainism has a parallel in Stoicism. Another affinity with Stoicism consists in its advocacy of austere bodily and mental discipline. Jains are advised to ignore the superstitious beliefs popular among people. They should avoid the practice of performing rituals and ceremonies for pleasing gods.
In their pursuit of self-perfection, men have to abandon pride. In a way, this idea also finds an echo in Christianity – pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Jainism traces human pride or arrogance to
eight sources. Men usually take pride in their intelligence, their beauty, their noble family, their caste, their physical and mental strength, their magical powers, their mode of temple worship and their tapas (prolonged meditation) and yoga. One has to give up arrogance on these counts. Unless one gives up pride, he cannot become pure and humble in heart, and attain to divine consciousness.
The Jain monks have to follow a more austere code than householders. They cannot live long at a place and have to lead a peripatetic life. They have to expose themselves to the elements in order to steel themselves against hunger, thirst, cold and heat. By leading an intensely austere life, based on sound moral and aesthetic principles, by making their hearts pure and humble, they become “jina” or spiritual conquerors.