Menstruation - Religious and Social Stigma

Q22. Why are women not allowed in the temple or to do puja, prayer, rituals etc. during their menstruation, the monthly biological cycle?

 

We applaud the youth for asking this progressive question and thinking beyond the status-quo.  Menstruation is a natural biological process that a woman undergoes and that makes creation of any human life possible. Yet, some religious authorities and traditional followers treat menstrual cycles as unclean, impure, and go so far to forbid women from participating in religious or temple activities during their menstrual cycles.

 

With increased awareness and knowledge, both men and women, are questioning the reasons for these rules, traditions, and practices surrounding menstruation. Why menstruating women are separated from the religious community? Is there is any spiritual significance, or any Jain principle driven reasons behind these rules?

 

When a girl starts menstruating, these rules are dealt in different ways and generally one of the following happens:

a.    Girl accepts the culturally programmed deep rooted belief system, she doesn’t feel a need to question the restrictions or she doesn’t see anything wrong with it.

b.    Girl questions the restrictions and the family come up with an approach with mutual understanding and respect, but they are still constrained by the traditional / societal belief systems. For example, they won’t have any restrictions at home, but they won’t go to temple during menstruation or won’t share their thoughts on this topic with others or in public.

c.     Girl questions the restrictions because she wants to understand rather than follow these rules blindly. But no satisfactory or principle driven reasons are provided, and she is expected to comply.

d.    Girl refuses to follow such restrictions and she is portrayed as defiant or rebellious.

We spoke with some sadhvijis (nuns) and a few laywomen who follow sadhvijis very closely from different Jain sects. They all have said and agreed, this is a very controversial and challenging subject to discuss. During our conversations, we have found that their practices are based on their Guru Maharaj’s discretion.

 

Some women who grew up with these rules may never feel comfortable discarding this tradition. While for others, it often creates feelings of confusion over the reasons, conflict, shame, resentment, or even hostility towards the religion and the community.

 

This article is primarily intended for people who experience feelings of confusion and see themselves in scenarios b, c, or d. We are addressing this question to create awareness with knowledge and answer questions for curious minds who want to understand objectively from principles. 

 

 

Natural Biological Process for Human Life

First and foremost, menstruation is a natural biological process that a woman goes through, nothing more and nothing less.  Menstrual cycle is fundamental for any human life. Instead of shaming women for this natural phenomenon, we shall acknowledge that our very existence is dependent on it. Blood of a woman was, and is, a natural and fundamental component of life. This understanding is so vital, and we need to really let that sink in. 

Once this fundamental belief system is examined, we can reflect on our thought process and attempt to uproot our internal biases such seeing this biological process as impure or unclean, instead of pious.

 

With this in mind, we will explore various commonly cited reasons for restrictions due to menstruation. We urge you to think, internalize the information and use your own wisdom to make your decision.

 

 

Common Reasons for Restrictions

There are many traditions that bring meaningful symbolic purpose. Traditions like bowing to Bhagwan, saying Jai Jinendra to each other, removing shoes, and wearing clean and proper clothes for puja. These traditions bring us together and help us celebrate our heritage, culture, and religion in a positive way that harms no one. But not every tradition deserves this respect. Some traditions are better left behind. 

 

 

Desecrate our Tirthankaras

Some religious authorities and traditional followers say that menstruating women are not worthy of praying to the Tirthankaras because their presence near the Murti would desecrate our Bhagwan. They say that their state of mind or emotional state during menstrual cycle is somehow inappropriate to be near anything sacred. This is indefensible of course, since our Tirthankaras are vitragi, they don’t have any kind of attachments or aversion. And ultimately all temple rituals in Jain religion are meant to purify our own Soul. This tradition of barring women in their cycles from participating in derasar not only has no rational basis in Jain dharma, but it’s also harmful and shameful. It implies a message that women are dirty or polluted.

 

 

Dev and Devi Curse

Some people or traditionalists believe that it’s the Dev and Devi who can be adversely affected by the ‘asuchi’ or impurities associated with menstruation and these temple Devs and Devis will curse the person and the Jain community.

 

First let’s look at it from historic perspective, the concept of praying Dev and Devi got introduced into Jainism approximately in 6^th or 7^th century, which is about 1100 years after Mahavir Swami’s nirvana. During Mahavir Swami’s time, no one   prayed to Devs or Devis in Jainism, but it got introduced because of the influence of other Indian traditions and religions at that time and it also appealed to human desires and weaknesses.

 

If we look at Mahavir Swami’s life, he went through so many difficulties (upsargs and parishah) on his journey to liberation but he did not take any kind of rescue or refuge in Dev or Devi for the difficulties he had to face.  Even Lord Indra offered him to be at his service during his Sadhana period of 12.5 years.  But Bhagwan Mahavir denied it and said that “No one can attain Keval Jnan with someone’s help. And this is the fundamental Jain principle that we need to chart our own path for liberation. Jainism principally does not believe and is not dependent on blessings or curse from dev and devis.

 

 

Magnetic Pious Field Gets Disturbed around Temple

Others believe that the magnetic fields around the derasar could get disturbed by menstruating women. Derasar is the place of our vitraagi tirthankara, who are above kind of aversions or attachments, so again how can it affect them or their residence? Do these otherwise rational people would check whether their female airplane pilots are fit to fly, lest their condition cause the plane to crash? Or the female surgeons are fit to perform a surgery?

 

 

Menstruating Women need Rest

The notion of menstruation as a period of “rest” is widely prevalent and often propagated as a reason for these restrictions.  

 

In older days, women were required to do extensive physical labor work and more people lived in joint families, compared to the current time. During the menstrual cycle, women experience discomfort, abdominal cramps, pains of varying intensity which makes it very difficult for them to carry out their usually daily activities and household work. When the society made restrictions mandatory duties, the families were coerced into allowing women to rest during those days and subsequently the women too, were able to take rest without any guilt.

 

But the question we need to ask is, if the intention is to provide that “rest”, which the women badly need due to stress and physical discomfort, then why is there a notion of women as pollutants and impure during menstruation? The intention to provide physical rest is a noble intention, but the stigma, isolation, and public shaming creates a much more intense emotional stress and social disgust around it, and that takes away the value behind this noble intention.

 

Moreover, rare is the household where the burden of housework and childcare doesn’t fall overwhelmingly on the woman, regardless of the time of month. This rationale of “resting” is often a self-serving and hypocritical excuse. Because even in current times, we are trying to continue this discriminating practice under the pretext of socially acceptable label of “resting”.

 

 

 

State of Mind

Furthermore, if menstruation is somehow physically “polluting” let us consider that some worshipers’ states of mind may be much more seriously afflicted by the effects of anger, greed, ego and lust. Should they also be required to abstain from doing darshan? There are no rules about this. No one seems to excuse himself or herself from praying and doing aarti because of his or her emotional state of mind, or presence of negative thoughts and passions. If we extend the rule to its logical end, we will find that hardly any person is ever fit to visit derasar.

 

 

So, the question is why?

Why have menstruating women been singled out for this public shaming and banned from doing darshan or other religious rituals? Could it be because the men feared something they didn’t understand, so they demonized it? The collective history of civilization is replete with examples of patriarchal cultures creating rules to suppress women.

 

Maybe we picked up the tradition from another religion, but without thinking whether it’s time to leave it behind. Maybe the rule was created for some other reason that doesn’t make sense anymore, but we have mindlessly maintained the rule out of a misguided respect for tradition.

The Jinmanjari 1996 Publication from Canada Bramhi Jain Society goes in great depth about Jainism and the Spirituality of Women starting on page 49. It provides the historic perspectives and specifically talks about how Jainism wasn't able to escape the patriarchal doctrine and other socio-religious influences on menstruation either, starting on page 57. Link to the complete article on Jainelibrary (or search by # 524013) - https://jainelibrary.org/book-detail/?srno=524013.

 

If the tradition were of symbolic value and not harming anyone, it wouldn’t matter. But it’s not harmless. It’s discriminatory. The rule is inconsistently applied and irrational. This tradition’s time is over and should be discarded.

 

For example, Acharya Sushil Muni consistently and openly condemned these traditions. There are religions like Sikhism, who have completely rejected the idea of impurity and does not endorse any restrictions on menstruating women. Buddha also had similar views.  Also, there are families who don’t follow these norms, they educate others and are creating some awareness amongst the society, but they are in minority.

 

 

Summary

In summary, women should be treated with dignity, respect and seen as an equal.  We respect everyone’s right to his or her opinion, but it should not take away entitlement, respect and dignity from others. 

We shall consider that human birth is not possible without menstruation. Instead of shaming women for this natural phenomenon, we shall acknowledge that our very existence is dependent on it.

 

Woman’s menstrual cycle is no one’s business but hers. Women should not feel any pressure to avoid religious activities due to period. Women should be free to meditate, pray, and visit the temple anywhere and anytime they want to. It should be her choice. Men can act as an ally by supporting women and discouraging such rules in their homes and temples. 

 

The core principles of Jainism teach us to show compassion toward others and never miss an opportunity to serve others. When us humans are going through difficult situations, we need the spiritual teachings and practices from Jainism more than ever at that point. So, when women are going through psychological changes with menstruation, the society should provide the support and not isolate them or make them feel shameful. 

 

The real spiritual growth impediments do not reside in any outward physical form, but instead in our inner state of being when it takes on the forms of ego, greed, deceit, or anger. The greater purpose of the religion is to realize and experience the true nature of our soul and any activity that take us closer to that is our religion.

 

Rituals are meant to be Adaptive and are not Universal...

Q20. Are rituals meant to be adaptive? Do rituals need to change based on environment and place or in other words, are rituals universal? As an example, why are Samayik and Pratikraman rituals not allowed in the temple and is that applicable in all countries?

 

First let’s talk about what are rituals, the purpose of rituals and how they should be performed. Then we will talk about the adaptability and applicability of rituals in different environments/countries.

 

Rituals – What/Why/How

Ritual, in the religious context, is a set of activities performed to remind basic principles of the religion. Rituals have a symbolic and spiritual significance to the performer.

 

Rituals are important for any religion to build a culture, to strengthen their religious values, to create a sense of community, and for survival of a religion. Rituals are required and play a significant role to instill values and build up religious interest in children, youth, and future generations.

 

End Goals of Rituals

Rituals performed with proper understanding ultimately help us:

·        Reduces our kashayas (anger, ego, greed, deceit)

·        Reduces our attachment to worldly objects and physical relationships

·        Increase compassion toward other living beings

·        Realize true nature of the soul and ultimately lead to liberation

And achieving the above is essentially the aim of religion.

 

How to Perform Rituals

Rituals must be performed with proper knowledge, understanding and reflection. Practicing of any ritual should start with understanding the spiritual purpose of the rituals.

As we are performing any ritual, we need to pause and ask ourselves honestly: Am I doing this ritual with the right knowledge and understanding? Am I doing this ritual with proper yoga posture, proper recitation of sutra, and meditation? Am I reflecting on how this ritual is helping me?

With such reflections, it ends up being primary means of inner transformation.

Rituals performed mechanically, out of fear, ego, greed, deceit, or personal gain, are pointless and provide no spiritual benefit.  On the contrary it further degrades us spiritually because we practice the religion under fear and greed.

 

Please refer to “Rituals: What, Why, How” article for additional details.

 

Rituals are created by the people, and for the people. They are meant to be something that can be easily followed by the laypeople on daily basis in their current environment. Otherwise, it ends up becoming a paper exercise and not something that can be or will be followed by people.

 

 

Rituals are meant to be adaptive

If the rituals are adaptive and responsive to different cultures and social climates, then the rituals and religion remain relevant and vibrant. Hence people continue to stay actively involved. We have seen over history that rituals have changed to suit the needs of the changing times, but values and spiritual intent were kept intact.

As an example, there are distinct differences in the way rituals were performed during Lord Parshwanath’s time vs. Lord Mahavir’s time.

 

During Lord Parshvanath’s time, repentance ritual was performed only if one made a mistake or violated a vow. If an induvial made a mistake multiple times, then the repentance ritual was performed multiple times in a day. And if an individual didn’t make any mistake or violated a vow, then the repentance ritual was not performed.

 

Whereas during Lord Mahavir’s time, he introduced discipline around rituals. He introduced six essential rituals for laypeople like Samayik, Chauvisathho, Vandana, Pratikraman, Kayotsarg and Pacchakhan. This is an example of how the rituals were adjusted in accordance with time, but the spiritual intent of eliminating our Mithyatva and reducing kashayas remained the same.

 

There are rituals around seasons in India. The seasons are different in America, so the seasons related rituals won't be necessarily applicable. For example, there are areas in USA and Canada were sunset occurs sometimes around 3 PM. Will it be practical for individuals in those areas to follow not eating after sunset ritual?  

 

Another example is not eating mangoes during monsoon months in India. Is that applicable in America since it rains almost all year around in many parts of the country?

 

 

Rituals are not universal

Rituals depend on place, time, and environment we live in. But the purpose and spiritual intent remains the same. So, some rituals will be pertinent regardless of the country and some rituals won’t be. We must use our own wisdom to determine the rituals applicability in our current environment. 

Practicing of rituals starts with understanding the spiritual purpose of the ritual and practical applicability to follow the ritual while meeting all the responsibilities as laypeople. This becomes especially important when people migrate from one place to another.

There are many rituals in place today that are rooted from generations of history and they are performed with the mindset that “this is how it’s always been done”. In some cases, these rituals are done in Mithyatva (ignorance), not knowing the spiritual intent but instead following it mechanically. This Mithyatva can be seeded from lack of knowledge, lack of desire to gain information, blindly following rituals, believing in the wrong beliefs, lack of alignment with Jain values/principles, or fear of challenging that status quo.

 

Ritual should not be mistaken as a religion

Ritual should not be mistaken as a religion, but rather the spiritual benefit that we gain directly/indirectly by performing a ritual is the religion. If we are getting spiritual benefit from a ritual, then it is a proper ritual versus a ritual just carried mechanically. Whatever rituals we do, we need to understand the spiritual purpose behind it and then see if we are achieving and/or improving towards achieving that purpose.

 

So, now that we understand rituals should be adaptive and they are not meant to be universal, let’s talk about specific question related Samayik and Pratikraman in detail:

 

 

Why does Jainism not allow Samayik and Pratikraman rituals in the temple and is that applicable in America?

This question has come up at the several Jain centers in America. Many of the small centers don’t have enough space to accommodate various simultaneous. Pratikramans during specifically during Paryushan to include Shvetämbar, Digambar, Sthanakvasi, Youth Pratikaman or Pratikaman performed in English language and so on.

Let’s first understand the purpose of Samayik and Pratikraman:

Samayik: The purpose of Samayik is to remain calm, undisturbed and in the state of equanimity for at least 48 minutes daily. This daily practice is intended to raise our spirituality and inner strength such that we can maintain the state of equanimity throughout the day.

Pratikraman: The purpose of Pratikraman is to reflect, repent, and re-approach upon wrong thoughts, words and actions and ask for forgiveness for the same. This daily practice keeps us constantly awake and aware about our way of living life.

The aims of both rituals are to prepare us in attaining divinity in our thoughts, words, and conduct through awareness and moment to moment mindfulness.

In our effort to understand if there are any scriptures or principles driven reasons for not performing such pious and spiritually uplifting rituals in the temple, we have found none. However, we were given some traditional reasons. We have also provided our perspective and logic for each of the reasons below:

Acharyas and Scholars indicate the following 4 reasons why we are not allowed to do Samayik and Pratikraman in the temple

1.     The primary function of temple is to do Puja and Chaitya Vandan of Tirthankar.  Samayik and Pratikraman are for self-reflection and meditation.  This may take long time.  During this time people sweat perspire and that degrades piousness of temple. 

2.     Samayik and Pratikraman when performed in a group, people seat around the circle and Sthapnacharya in the middle.  This will create Ashatana condition to Tirthankar because few people’s back will be in front of Tirthankar Murti.

3.     In Pratikraman vidhi, when Guru vandan vidhi occurs, if we to do it in the presence of Tirthankar then this is also considered Ashatana.

4.     Anybody can walk-into the temple and will disturb people’s Kaussag, Samayik, or Svadhyay, or meditation.

We need to evaluate the above reasons in different environment and culture from a logical and spiritual viewpoint:

1.     Originally the temples were meant for meditation, the murtis were used as symbol for meditation, and Jainism as well as Buddhism were against murti puja. Later, various rituals got introduced and meditative intent got lost. Also, if the length of the rituals is a concern, then why are Siddhachakra poojans performed in the temple which takes couple of hours? If poojans are allowed, then why not Samayik and Pratikraman?

2.     Regarding Ashatana because of people’s back in front of the murti, why not sit such that no one’s back is towards Tirthankar?

3.     Tirthankar are our first spiritual teachers / gurus then why can’t we recite guru vandan in front of our tirthankars? We do recite Ichcchami Khamasaman in front of tirthankara and monks/nuns and only difference is the number of times it is performed. We recite it for three times in the temple vs. two times in front of monks/nuns.

4.     The concern that anybody can walk in anytime and disturb meditation is more applicable in India since people come and go anytime, but not in USA, Canada, and many other countries.

As we can see that the reasons provided have no spiritual significance.  It is more driven by the culture and tradition in certain sects of Jainism. In America, during Samvatsari Pratikraman more space is required because the entire community does Pratikraman at the same time but in different rooms, such as Shvetambar hall, Sthanakvast hall, Shrimad hall, English Pratikraman hall. 

To indicate that we can do Samayik and Partikraman in a pious place like temple is logical as well as spiritual. The main goal for us is to achieve our spiritual (meditative) intent of these rituals in our current environment.

 

In Summary

We need to have clear understanding of the rituals and the purpose of rituals. For rituals to remain relevant, they need to be adaptive and we must use our own wisdom to determine the rituals applicability in our current environment. 

“Whatever I say, you must test this with your own reasoning and verify it through your own experience. Do not accept what I say blindly by faith alone until it passes the litmus test of intellect.”  – Tirthankar Mahavir

The above is the key message from Mahavir Swami, but the unfortunate situation is performing rituals without proper understanding and then not questioning it under the pretense of faith in religion. We must think about all the information holistically and make our decision keeping the spiritual aim in the forefront.

The ultimate purpose of any ritual is our inner transformation and we are the only ones who can track our progress honestly.

The intent is not to challenge or change a tradition just for sake of it but to understand principles and awareness, such that if a change is required in our current environment, then we can use our own wisdom and not become rigid or timid followers of cultural/legacy traditions.

Climate Crisis Series - Part 1 of 3: What is Climate Crisis?

This is the first in a series of 3 questions and answers about climate change. We will begin by describing what is climate change and what is causing it. Subsequent blog articles will address why we should care about climate change, and what we can do about it.

 

Q17. What is climate change / climate crisis? And what are the reasons for climate crisis?

Climate crisis refers to a long-term change in the Earth’s climate patterns

The term “climate crisis” commonly refers to the long-lasting changes in the planet’s global climate over the past 50-100 years, including changes to temperatures, precipitation, and wind patterns. The dangerous effects of climate change are reflected in many ways, most serious of which include:

1.     Global warming - rising average temperatures (+1.5°F over the past century).

2.     Increases in intense rainfall, flooding, droughts, and more frequent and severe heat waves and forest fires. 

3.     Increasingly acidic and warming oceans, melting polar ice caps, and rising sea levels.

Humans are primarily responsible for recent climate change

The acceleration of climate change has been widely and objectively attributed by nearly all scientists to the activities of a growing population of humans. Over the past century, a rapidly growing human population has shifted into increasingly industrialized societies. Humans have gradually demanded greater amounts of energy to support materially rich lifestyles. Through the burning of fossil fuels to generate this energy, humans have released enormous amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Climate change is directly linked to the increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The effects are further worsened by deforestation, industrial processes using fossil fuels, and some agricultural practices such as factory farming and monoculture (the destructive practice of growing only one crop on giant farms). These greenhouse gases trap energy in the atmosphere and cause the Earth to heat up to levels that are dangerous to the health of the planet’s ecosystems.

Some scientists refer to this geological age as the Anthropocene epoch, in which humans, rather than geological or natural climate processes, are the dominant force shaping the planet and affecting the environment.

What are the effects of this climate change?

The effects of global warming / climate change have been widely publicized by many respected scientific, environmental, academic, and government institutions. In summary, one can say that it is having major effects on the planet and its inhabitants. The increasing concentration of greenhouse gases is causing warming temperatures in the atmosphere and oceans, melting of Arctic sea ice and glaciers, rising sea levels, increasing humidity, diminishing snow cover, and other related effects. Small changes in the average temperature of the planet are translating into large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather. These changes are leading to extreme volatility in weather, more intense flooding and droughts, intense summer heat, more violent storms, loss of ecosystems and rich natural habitats, extinctions of animals, soil erosion, worsening air quality, increased disease and pestilence, freshwater shortages, food shortages, and other problems. Climate change is even considered responsible for causing forced migrations of people and heightened risks of wars. 

Why are individuals and families not doing more to stop climate change?

There are many reasons for the lack of meaningful action to stop climate change. Let’s begin with the human psychological basis for inaction. For many people, the impact of climate change may not be as top of mind or seem so gravely serious as something like the recent Covid-19 pandemic. This is because the effects of climate change are not as obviously visible or disruptive in our day-to-day lives. Unlike other very urgent and disruptive emergencies, the effects of climate change are different in three fundamental aspects:

1.     A perceived lack of timing urgency: When we are confronted with an immediate danger or mortal threat, we will react quickly. For example, when faced with an earthquake, hurricane, forest fire, flooding, or pandemics, we recognize the danger and seek shelter immediately. Ironically, some of these disasters that happen with increasing frequency are caused by climate change itself. However, we do not clearly connect climate change as a cause of such disasters. By not making this vital connection, we fail to address the root cause.

Root causes are often more difficult to perceive and treat than the resulting symptoms. Climate change is manifesting cumulatively over the past few centuries since the industrial revolution, and accelerating in the recent few decades. The human brain did not evolve to respond quickly and decisively to such a seemingly slow pace of change. When we do not perceive something as an urgent matter of life or death, our bias is to discount the threat, to “deal with it later,” and to compromise for the sake of instant gratification or short-sighted benefits.

2.     The lack of personal disruption. Climate change has a diffuse impact across geographies and socio-economic groups. The effects happen in many different and sometimes remote parts of the planet, so it may not always be visible in one’s own backyard, and it may not affect people that we know or identify with. Those who are in power and in a position to effect change may often be economically privileged and hence less impacted by climate change. Our cognitive tendency discounts things that happen far away and to people outside our immediate circles. Even when species go extinct, giant glaciers melt, or indigenous peoples are erased, it can be subconsciously dismissed as something abstract happening to someone else far away.

3.     The sense of hopelessness. Climate change is a function of the global actions of centuries of industrialization and population growth. Individuals may feel that the problem of climate change is too big to address by oneself, and that our actions will not have any meaningful impact, or that the personal and short-term sacrifices required are too great. When faced with such a seemingly impossible problem, we may feel paralyzed and resigned to inaction.

In addition to these individual factors, there are very powerful population, cultural, geo-political, and economic dynamics that make change difficult. Countries have taken different positions, but the global scale of the problem has not been met with effective global leadership and commitment to address it. Consider the following:

·        The population of humans is very large, approaching 8 billion and increasing by 74 million annually. Among mammals, humans are second only to mice and rats (but human beings have far greater adverse impact on the environment than all other species).

·        To date, politicians have been more motivated by party and national self-interests over global preservation. Political actions on climate change are often more symbolic than substantive, or considered voluntary, and rarely enforced. Furthermore, political strategies are invariably focused on winning the next election, a dynamic which causes politicians to sacrifice the distant future to gain near term advantage.

·        In the currently prevailing system of unconstrained capitalism, businesses are rewarded for short-term profit over long-term sustainability, even when it results in the exploitation of natural environment. The relentless quest for profit and growth disregards the true costs to people and environment.

·        Consumers are increasingly driven by the greed and desire for a life of comfort and pleasure. Humans are estimated to have consumed more resources in the last 50 years than the whole of humanity before us.

·        Last but not least, the age of internet technology has helped make mass communication possible and accessible. This has helped drive awareness and education about climate change. However, the technology has also enabled the spread of false information on media and online resources. This causes people to misunderstand facts. Some organizations and institutions even harness the power of the internet to purposefully spread wrong information and sabotage efforts to protect the environment.

Together, these forces have made it very challenging to address climate change with the unity, urgency, and magnitude of action that it deserves.

Despite these challenges, the good news is that that people globally are gradually becoming more aware of climate change, more accepting of human causes, and more motivated than ever before to address it.

For more information on a Jain perspective about climate change, the JAINA Ahimsak Eco-Vegan Committee has prepared a detailed statement. We encourage everyone to click on this link to read the Jain Declaration on the Climate Crisis that has been endorsed by JAINA and also sign the declaration on Climate Change to make a public commitment to action. 

In the next installment of this series, we will discuss why climate change matters for any person, and in particular from a Jain perspective. The final article will explain what we can do to stop climate change and protect the environment.

Spiritually navigating the current COVID-19 pandemic

Q16. What is the Jain philosophy regarding such events? What can we do in the present moment? What can we learn that will help us now and in future? 

The worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had substantial impact on every aspect of our lives. There are a lot of questions on everyone's mind with the current situation. The intent of this blog is to provide the Jain philosophy to enable us to spiritually navigate this situation. We will discuss about the five samaväya, what we can do now and spiritual learning for our way forward.

Many of us might feel various emotions like stress, fear, anger, anxiety during these times of uncertainly. But we don't want to stay there too long because it reduces our spirituality and the power to do the right thing. We want to raise our spirituality and inner strength by leveraging our religious understanding, faith, and values to move to more positive emotions like compassion, peace, hope, optimism.

There are various theories that have been propounded to explain the occurrence of events. According to Jain philosophy, a situation develops, or an event happens because of five reasons operating simultaneously known as Five Samaväya.

Five Samaväya

Samaväya is the name of the group of five causes that are associated with every situation or event that occur in the universe or in our life.  It gives the connection between action and causes. Without a cause, no action can take place.  These five causes have a deep connection for all events that takes place in the universe. The events may be positive or negative. The five Samaväya are:

1.     Time (Kal)

2.     Intrinsic nature (Swabhav)

3.     Predestination (Niyati, Bhavitavyata or Honahar)

4.     Instrumental cause (Nimitta)

a.     External Nimitta – External Cause or Circumstances

b.     Internal Nimitta – Internal Cause, which is maturing our previously acquired Karma

5.     Determination, Self-Effort or Freewill (Purushartha)

The Jain philosophy views and reveals the importance of each Samaväya and this group of causes are always present when an event happens in the universe or in our life. Next, let’s understand each Samaväya in detail before looking into these factors for this COVID-19 situation.

1 - Time (Kal)

Time gives the sequence to whatever happens in universe. Time is a controlling principle and it plays an important role for all events/situations. The results of our work, consequences of our karma, situations or events do not occur before their due time. And when the time has occurred, we cannot stop the situations or events from happening.

If we sow seeds today, they do not give fruits right away. The seed cannot neglect the temporal limitation set out by time for its transformation into a tree. The Karma that are bound to the soul due to activities may not immediately manifest their fruits as soon as they are bound. The fruits of Karma appear at a specific time depending on the nature of the Karma itself.

When we understand the time factor, we learn to be patient, optimistic and hopeful.

2 - Intrinsic nature (Swabhav)

Every substance has its own intrinsic nature and that defines its characteristics, potential limitations, or potential effects. And the nature of substance is not to be confused with behavior or character traits of individuals.

Let’s look at few examples to understand the intrinsic nature - only females can get pregnant and not males, apple seeds grow apples and not oranges, certain seeds don’t sprout no matter what, humans can meditate, not animals. In matters like these, individual inherent nature plays in important role and it cannot be overlooked.

When we understand the nature factor, we have acceptance towards the effects or limitations based on intrinsic nature.

3 - Predestination (Niyati, Bhavitavyata or Honahar)

There are many words used for this concept, such as niyati, destiny, and fate. Predestination means that there are certain things that are predetermined and unalterable in this world.  In these situations, whatever has been destined will take place.  Whatever must happen keeps happening.  In this process, change cannot be made despite our best efforts. 

For example, even if we make all possible efforts, we cannot prevent the aging process or may not be able to save someone’s life. 

When we understand the predestination factor, we gracefully and peacefully accept things that are out of our control.

4 - Instrumental cause (Nimitta)

For Nimitta, there are external and internal causes and they always go together. External nimitta could be living beings, objects, situations, or events and they act as a catalyst. And internal nimitta is the fruit or consequence of our previously acquired Karma.

Let’s look at an example of an individual winning a lottery to understand the nimitta concept from both perspectives, internal and external. The lottery ticket being sold at a store is an external nimitta or a catalyst and winning a lottery is an internal nimitta or fruit of previous karma.

When we understand the external and internal nimitta causes, we know that our karmas have consequences. And external causes are just catalyst for our karma to come into action and not be blamed.

5 - Determination, Self-Effort or Freewill (Purushartha)

Purushartha or freewill is our power to choose our response in any given situation. We have a choice, no matter the situation. In that choice and self-effort, lies our opportunity to progress spiritually, improve and learn from the situation. A classic example of Purushartha is Gandhiji’s efforts towards getting independence for India.

When we understand the importance of self-effort and freewill, we can face any situation with courage, growth mindset and focus on things that we can control. Our spirituality is our response to what happens in life.

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The Jain philosophy does not look at these five causes from a single point of view, nor does it consider any one cause as the right one. It considers the collective effect as valid and whole truth. All the five causes are functioning simultaneously when any event happens in the universe or in our life.

Now, let’s look at these five Samavayas for COVID-19 situation:

1.     Time (Kal): The pandemic was to happen at this time worldwide.

2.     Intrinsic nature (Swabhav): It is intrinsic nature of a human body that it can get infected by such virus.

3.     Predestination (Niyati): It was meant to happen. It was in destiny for such pandemic to occur.

4.     Instrumental cause (Nimitta): External causes like being in proximity with someone with the virus, can act as a catalyst for our karma to come into action. And what happens to us will be based on the maturity of our previous Karma.

5.     Determination, Self-Effort or Freewill (Purushartha): Our Purushartha is our power to choose our response to this situation and that’s the only thing in our control right now. Our present efforts should be focused on what can we do now? How can we eliminate the virus? How can we come out of this stronger? How can we help those who are affected? How can we respond with compassion and kindness towards self and others?

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This pandemic is due to all the five causes, not any single cause. There are many common misconceptions about considering karma as the only cause for pandemic situation and overlooking the other samavayas. There is also a widespread notion about group karma, however, there is no mention of group karma in Jain literature. The concept of group karma cannot exist in Jainism because individuals acquires karma based on his/her intentions (bhav), the acquired karmas comes into action for those individuals, and the individual karma is self-contained and has no effect on others.

It is useful to know and understand these five causes, but from a spiritual point of view, purushartha, what we do in the present moment is of utmost importance.

Spirituality teaches that life is our response to what happens to us.  Life is not what happens to us.

Our purushartha / religion / dharma right now is to raise our spirituality such that:

·        No kashayas (anger, ego, greed, deceit) arises within us

·        We can face the situation with strength and peace

·        We don't blame anyone

·        We continue to show compassion towards ourselves, others living beings and the environment. We have been neglecting to protect and preserve our fellow living beings, environment, and natural resources. Let us change our lifestyle such that we use minimum natural resources for our healthy survival.  

·        We have the power and courage to do the right thing

·        We conduct rituals or practices with spiritual understanding

·        We trust in our inner strength and not follow anything blindly. Power and strength are within us and nowhere outside

We must not violate any guidance from CDC and government authorities to prevent spreading this virus and help ourselves and others by maintaining social distancing. We want to be part of the solution and look for opportunities to help others.

We should also focus on learning the spiritual lessons that this situation is trying to teach us in a meaningful and encouraging way.

Inner Resiliency: Along with keeping our body healthy, we also need to pay equal attention, if not more, to our mind. We need to make our minds strong and resilient. Our thoughts manifest into our physical health. Our thoughts also affect our emotional health, our relationships with others and our overall well-being. Our inner world has a direct impact into what’s happening outside.

Soul Consciousness: In today’s world when majority of our time and efforts are focused on activities oriented toward body, we need to have constant realization and awareness of who we really are. If our orientation is only body focused, and not soul focused, then it is difficult to gain persistent inner resiliency. It is important to ground ourselves to our true nature.

Impermanence - Good times and trying times are both temporary. Nothing is permanent. This situation shall pass too but the question is how and what do we want to be during this time? We want to face the situation in a way that we come out of it wiser and more spiritual than what we are today.

Happiness is within - Eliminate / reduce our dependencies for happiness on other people, things, various experience by our sensory organs. Have meaningful connection, where we can learn and grow together. We want to find happiness and joy within and not be in the mad race of do more, acquire more, become more, travel more. We don’t want our lifestyle based purely on monetary and material standards. We want to introspect the purpose and way of our life.

Our Moral Responsibility: As human race, we share this planet with other living beings, we don’t own it. We must protect our environment and natural resources. We should go back to basics - compassion for all living beings, not hoarding more than what we need and not wasting, abusing, or overusing our natural resources.

Gratitude – There is so much that we can be grateful for. Human beings often have a negative bias and we get fixated on problems/threats and overlook the good things. We should let go of greed and desires and be content, appreciate and share what we have with others.

This is a difficult and trying time for all of us. We are all faced with fear of uncertainty and grief of loss. There is so much suffering but also an opportunity to grow spiritually in unprecedented ways. Our inner transformation leads to peaceful families, communities, and overall society.