Jainsm
Janism is a religion that started back in India around the fifth century B.C.E. Janism never approves of any wars or the killing of animals for any reason. Janism tries to raise human awareness and creates a high standard of ethics for its followers. The religion realizes that humans are imperfect but through strict discipline over ourselves, we can attain happiness and perfection. Mahavira was the main teacher or “the great hero”.(1) He was the prince of a Kshatriya clan and renounced his wealth and possessions at the age of 30 as a spiritual speaker. He meditated without any clothes in the summer heat and the winter cold and while fasting most of the time for 12 years where it is said he achieved perfection. Many of the townsfolk there would terrorize him on a daily basis but they had no effect on Mahivira.(1) For the next 30 years he spread his teaching to his community and had about 500,000 followers when he died in 527 B.C.E. He did not believe in the caste system nor did any of his followers. He is thought to be the last of 24 Tirthankaras of the cosmic cycle. Janism believes that the universe has no beginning or end, but it passes through long cycles of prosperity and decline. When the downward cycle begin
s, humans are happy and prosperous and there is no need for religion. As the spirits decline, Tirthankaras must create religion so the people will not be tempted by all the evils in the world. Jainism is an ascetic path that is practiced mostly by its monks and nuns. They practice meditation, fast, can never own any possessions, and are celibate. They can never have families nor can they take any medication that was tested on animals. Most of Jain monks and nuns sleep on the floor and must learn to accept social disapproval by the townsfolk. They depend on other for food, and can not brag or boast that they are more spiritually advanced than the other population. They are not allowed to touch living plants, bath, put out fires, fan themselves, dig, or walk in the rain because all of these is some way will effect the little beings.(3) They do not believe in a supreme god because all that would do is create an attachment and that is the thing they try to eliminate. Jains believe that karma is minute particles we accumulate over time as we do or think certain thinks. They try to avoid accumulating karma. The highest state of perfection is known as kevala. Today there are around 6 million Jains mostly still in India. Shree Chitrabhanu was a mani that walked over 30,000 miles of Indian soil to spread the teachings of Janism. In the early 1970’s, Shree left India and traveled to Switzerland and the United States to address the temple of Spiritual
Some topics in this essay:
Hindus Jains,
BCE Janism,
Svetambaras2 Digambara,
Lord Rishabha2,
Shree Chitrabhanu,
Summit Conferences,
,
Kenya UK,
Switzerland United,
pack dogs,
chase dog bone,
chase dog,
feels elephant’s,
dogs chase,
left india,
obtain perfection,
monks nuns,
jains believe,
dogs chase dog,
dog bone,
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Approximate Word count = 993
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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