Q1. What are the five senses and how are they defined in Jainism? How do the five senses play a role in determining our actions or intentions from violence point of view?
A1. The five senses are Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, and Hearing.
Senses possessed by living beings
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Examples of living beings with these senses
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1 sense - Touch
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Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Plants
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2 senses - Touch and Taste
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Worms, Shell
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3 senses - Touch, Taste and Smell
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Ants, Black Ants, Lice
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4 senses - Touch, Taste, Smell and Sight
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Flies, Bees, Wasps
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5 senses - Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight and Hearing
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Humans, Animals, Birds
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The Jain literature indicates that a living being with higher number of senses possesses higher faculties of knowledge (gyan). The faculty of knowledge increases in the order of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing.
Among the five sense living beings, grown-up human beings possess a fully developed mind and human beings are the only ones who can do meditation and ultimately attain self-realization and liberation.
More senses equates to more faculty of knowledge and this is why hurting or exploiting five sense living being is worse than hurting four, three etc... senses living beings. The number of senses play a greater role in deciding our intentions and actions from violence point of view.
Jainism believes that it is more sinful if we hurt or kill living beings that possess two or more senses, since we can healthily survive on only one sense living beings, such as plants, air and water.
The degree of violence is proportional to the number of senses a living being possesses. There is no equation in Jainism like 10,000 one sense being equals to 1 two senses living being. Therefore, from non-violence perspective, we don’t count number of souls, but instead number of senses / knowledge / consciousness of the souls.
Jainism advocates following path of minimum violence because life cannot exist without violence to one-sense living beings (water, earth, fire, plant and air). It essentially means not hurting any two senses and higher living beings and using one-sense living being only for healthy survival and no wastage. Waste of any food is violence.
"Jainism Presents various solutions of ecological problems through its theory of non-violence. Jain hold that not only humans and animals but also earth, air, fire, water and vegetation are sentient. For Jains to pollute, disturb, hurt and destroy them means committing violence against them". - Prof. Sagarmal Jain.
Well explained sir.👌
ReplyDeleteI would like to indulge in such other healthy discussions.
So I'd be glad to be added in such groups having such discussion, or presenting such theories.
U could refer some blogs also.
Thanks
Well written!
ReplyDeleteAre earth, water, fire and air living beings according to Jainism? Why they are considered living, when science considers them non-living?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about fire but earth, water and air in their natural form invariably contains a lot of micro-life like bactaria and virus, 95% of which are yet to be identified and catagorised by microbiologists. Science as on today has not gone beyond virus. But there could be yet to be discovered lifeform even smaller than virus.
DeleteGood question and thank you for asking it. Here's our team’s perspective on this:
DeleteJainism portrays these four elements (water, earth, air, fire) and plant as living beings in order to encourage people to use or consume them more responsibly and avoid any kind of wastage. Any form of wastage is violence. Such depiction enables our spiritual growth and serves the intent from religion perspective. Hence it is to be believed on a faith basis (Kevali's preaching). There is no scientific proof provided in the scripture.
Religion and Science have different intents. Religion aims at empowering our spiritual growth and Science attempts at understanding the logic and explaining of behavior of elements in Universe as we see it.
While the fundamentals, aim and core values/principles of the religion do not change over time as they are considered universal truth, where as religion rituals and conducts may change based on time, place, and environment we live in. The laws of science on the other hand, continuously changes as we learn new behavior of these basic elements through new research. So, we need to take spiritual perspective when contemplating any information provided in Religion.
As I understand, Jainism doesn’t portray four elements in order to encourage people to use or consume them more responsibly. According to Jainism, each of these four elements has a life of its own, one sense life.
DeleteAs I think, Its not for portraying or encouraging the people. Its the fact. A Religion is a science too. If ' modern science ' considers a human as living entity than its a common-sense to consider earth, air etc as living, because human is also made out of them according to the science.
DeleteScience is a religion in truest virtue. Moreover, Jainism has made it clear that each form of life in its nasal form contains virtues beyond many beliefs. Each belief is individual based.
DeleteNow to explain: Earth contains the initial essence of any form of creation. Fire contains the essence of circulation to circumvent any discretion to formation of earth. Wind creates the exhilaration power so that the chakra (wheel) of life can be generated. Meanwhile Water denotes the depth of life and the human emotional level. Water defines the behaviour and spine structure of any life form.
Plants are biotic or made of all 4 forms and are eaten to contain oneself (especially living beings) to live throughout.
Any questions, please reply here. 😃
Just a small clarification. It would be better to define living beings with multiple senses by putting in categories like: 5-senses as in Humans, animals, fish and all major water lives, birds, rather that just listing horses and fishes. Jai Jinendra!
ReplyDeletePerfect. Try to reduce the violence. You can not make it zero.
ReplyDeleteElaborate the difference between Pure Vegetarian and Jain Veg from Kitchen point of view for needful guidance Sir
ReplyDeleteComments on reply of Pratiksha. As I understand, Jainism doesn’t portray four elements in order to encourage people to use or consume them more responsibly. According to Jainism, each of these four elements has a life of its own, one sense life.
ReplyDeleteGood Job 👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌
ReplyDeleteAIR AS PER JAINISAM IS A LIVING ELEMENT HAS ONLY KAYA- BODY. BUT LIKE A MAN IT HAS GNAN, DARSHAN, ETC. THERE ARE LOT OF VARIETIES OF AIR. AIR LIKE OXYGEN GIVES US LIFE & AIR LIKE CARBON MONOXIDE, CORONA VIRUS TAKES OUR LIVES TOO. CORONA IS ONE TYPE OF AIR POLLUTION & IS POISONOUS. THESE 5 ELEMENS EARTH, WATER, FIRE, AIR & TREES HAVE ONLY KAYA BUT THEY ARE LIVE. AM I CORRECT ?
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR SERIES.
PRAVIN SHAH
9870079608, MUMBAI E MAIL pshah1949@gmail.com d. 25-4-2020
Hello- modern science has discovered a number of senses that animals possess - beyond the traditional 5 senses - that humans do not. Among them are the ability to sense gravity and electromagnetic fields. How does Jainism reconcile this new knowledge with its already-established hierarchy? If a higher number of senses indicates a higher capability to attain gyan, then some animal form - and not human - should be considered at the top of the Jain hierarchy and therefore the final physical being before attaining moksha, right?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCan someone make a list of food items which has more thn 2 senses ...eg bread , stale food, bengali sweets, cheese, butter etc
ReplyDeletety sir
ReplyDeleteVery well explained. I am using the material here to teach kids... Superb work
ReplyDeleteI am sorry I read this Blog now, I am agree with some on this Blog, but I have one question or suggestions.
ReplyDeleteLike on this blog it says One senses like Air, Fire, Earth, water and plants.
I also agree there is no equation like 10,000 one sense being equal to 1two senses living being.
From non violence perspective we don’t count number of soul, but instead number of senses/ Knowledge/consciousness of the souls.
This part I have questions or suggestions——
Jainism is looking more detail, more Non violence religion, So why We can not look little more detail,
Look in One senses Plants, some plants has very few Souls than others, Like Apple, Apricot etc fruits,
have very few souls than other fruits.
Vegetables like Okra, beans, Cabbage etc has less Souls than Garlic, Onions, Potato's etc ( Root Vegetables ) What I read in jain scripture, Roots Vegetables has Ananta Souls ( can’t even count)
It is proven by Science, one smallest piece of Garlic had Ananta Souls. There was proven by science
I show few months ago. It is viral.
What my concern is why blog is not telling here. Everything should be included, Decision is each individual.
Plus Jainism also explains, One senses to 5 Senses has Bhav mind- Knowledge is less.
Because of Bhav mind all senses feels pain- less or more.
If I eat one vegetables has 10 seeds- 10 souls why should I eat one small piece of Garlic which has lots of lots souls, yes there is not precise number but Science proved Ananta solus. And Jainsim scripture also said that. ( About all Root vegetables, You can confirm, asking Sadhu)
If right knowledges is given then individuals can decide easily. This is manageable If right knowledge is given.
There are so many Jains are following to avoid Root Vegetables, all the Sadhus, and Sadhvis are not eating Root Vegetable.
My concern is why this knowledge is not given in Blog.