Purpose and Approach

The story behind this blog and approach used to answer all the questions

Why this blog

The purpose of this blog is to address questions that have been collected by the Jaina Education Committee over the last 10+ years. These questions have been raised by the youth and professionals to their pathshala teachers, parents and/or Jain scholars. There are wide range of questions from, basic to complex ones, that involve experiences of modern times on various topics like - Ahimsa, Rituals, Environmental impact, Women Equality, Social Issues, Cleanliness, Health and Medicines, Profession/Business, Penance, Philosophy, Literature, and many others.

 

Such questions can be addressed in one of the two ways, by either:

• Asking them to not question anything about religion and simply believe and follow what is being said or 
• Aid in understanding the values and principles that facilitates answer to those questions, so that individuals can use their own logic and wisdom to derive an answer for themselves. 

Using first approach is easy and simple, but in the long run, will either drive the individuals away from religion and spiritual lifestyle, or create a community that would follow religion blindly, that is, without any understanding of their own and without any experience the intended benefits. 

 

To avoid the pitfalls of this first approach, this blog therefore, uses the second approach to address the questions from a Jain values and principles perspective. The intent of this approach is to deepen individuals' understanding, and even be able to verify that understanding based on their own experience.

 

In Jainism, there are no "thou shalt" like commandments. On the contrary, Jainism is an introspective religion, and we should constantly ask ourselves - "Is it helping me?", "Is it making me better?". If the answer is yes, then "that's the right thing for me and I'm the only one who can answer these questions honestly." 

 

This blog will provide a thought-process-based understanding of the core values and principles of Jainism and highlight the benefits and changes we should see within ourselves by using our own wisdom.

 

The core teaching by Bhagwan Mahavira urges us use our own logic, reasoning and learn from our own experiences.

 

“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. Otherwise, it will never be yours.

 

If you accept what I teach based on the sacred texts, or from my convincing reasoning, or even because of my radiant personality, but not by testing with your own reasoning, then in the end this will create only darkness (ignorance) in you and not light.”

 

- Tirthankar Mahavir

(Ref Book - Harmony-Of-All-Religions by Maharshi Santsevi Maharaj - Page 100)

 

How...

This blog is written under guidance of Pravin Shah, Chairperson of the Jaina Education Committee, and a Jain scholar. For over 40 years, Pravin Shah has researched Jain literature and scriptures in pursuit of finding informed answers to many of the questions people have about Jainism. In addition to his in-depth knowledge of Jainism, he also has a deep understanding of life as a Jain in the United States. He strives to answer questions beyond the plain and familiar, “that’s the way it is”, no matter how controversial the question is. When it comes to religion, it is an extremely difficult task to challenge a belief system that has been held on for many years. It requires courage, dedication, calmness, open-mindedness, and commitment, to push past those beliefs and come to conclusions based on sound reasoning.

 

The team members of this blog are from various backgrounds, and from various geographic locations within the United States. The team holds regular sessions with Pravin Shah and each question has an author and editor assigned to it. Each article goes through thorough research and the team members also reaches to various scholars in India and in US. The responses are posted on this blog after it has gone through multiple reviews.

 

The current committee members for this effort are: Aditya Jain (India), Birju Doshi (CAN), Dhruti Ghiya (NJ), Hardik Mehta (NJ), Jina Shah (CA), Krupali Shah (IL), Minal Jayant Shah (IL), Rita Lodaya (NC), Sejal Shah (NC), Shilpa Shah (GA), Shruti Doshi (VA), Vinit Doshi (CT) and Pratiksha Shah (VA).

Five senses and their role in Jainism

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	Examples of living beings with these senses
1 sense - Touch	Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Plants
2 senses - Touch and Taste	Worms, Shell
3  senses - Touch, Taste and Smell	Ants, Black Ants, Lice
4  senses - Touch, Taste, Smell and Sight	Flies, Bees, Wasps
5  senses - Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight and Hearing	Humans, Animals, Birds

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.

Our Guiding Principles

What are the guiding principles used to address the question?

We used the following guiding principles to address all the questions. It includes certain basic concepts that are very important to understand and to level set the basics of Jainism.

1. All of the responses are intended for lay people living in US society and not for monks or nuns. There is a difference in how monks/nuns vs. lay people follow Jainism. Monks/Nuns take five vows and laypeople have responsibilities for family, work, community, etc.
2. All of the responses are in reference to human beings with a fully developed mind, which mean individuals with ability to decide between right and wrong, freewill, free thinking and be able to meditate.
3. All of the responses are based on Jain values and principles and the intent is to create a positive and enriching experience about the religion. We are not imposing our views on anyone.
4. We will focus on the intent of the questions and consider possible implications of the answers.
5. We practice Anekantvad - different people are going to have different perspectives. Respect everyone irrespective of their choices; no exception. If there are multiple views then our attempt will be to reflect those in the answer.
6. Agamas are texts of Jainism based on the discourses (deshna) of the Tirthankara delivered in a samavasarana (divine preaching hall).
• The agamic literature and the Purvas were passed from one head of the order to his disciples for around 980 years after the nirvana of Tirthankara Mahavira. 
• It became difficult with time to keep the entire Jain literature committed to memory and written documentation started in the 5th century (~1000 years after Tirthankara Mahavira nirvana).
7. Jain Fundamental Beliefs:
• Universe has no beginning and no end. It is everlasting, eternal and has both finite and infinite component.
• The universe constitutes of six fundamental substances or entities known as Shad Dravya (Dravastikaya) and they are 
• Soul (Jiva)
• Matter (Pudgal)
• Principle of Motion (Dhamastikaya)
• Principle of Rest (Adharmastikaya)
• Space (Äkäsha)
• Time (Käl)
• All six substances are eternal. Although, they undergo countless and continuous changes, they do not transform from one substance to another and retain their inherent qualities.
• Soul (Jiva) is the only living substance, which has consciousness. Every living being is a soul. An infinite number of souls exist in the universe and they are all unique. The remaining 5 substances are non-living beings (Ajiva).
• Souls are classified into two major categories: Liberated Souls and Non-Liberated souls. Liberated souls known as Siddhas have ended their cycle of birth and death and they don’t have physical bodies. There are infinite number of non-liberated souls and they all have the possibility of achieving liberation. 
• Karma is one of the categories of matter (Pudgal), hence it exists since eternity.
• Soul is in Mithyätva (Delusion or ignorance and wrong belief) from Eternity.
• Karma is attached to the Soul from eternity. Our Mithyätva (Delusion or Illusion), Kashäya (vices) and the intention behind our actions of body, mind, and speech continue to bind us with new Karma.
• Principle governing the successions of life cycles (Birth, Life, and Death) is Karma.
8. Aim of Jainism:
• Enhance spiritual life, find happiness within and reduce kashays (greed, anger, lust, ego etc.) within.
• To realize the original attributes of a Soul by removing Mithyätva and Kashäya and thereby freeing the soul from its bondage to Karma.
• External renunciation is meaningless if the Soul remains fettered by internal shackles (Kashaya or vices) - Bhava-Puhad (13).
• The True Nature of a substance is the Religion of a substance - - any activity of Body, Mind and Speech which reduces/removes Mithyätva and  Kashäya (Anger, Ego, Deceit, and Greed) is known as Religion.
• Our conduct must be accompanied by compassion, friendship, love, sympathy, equanimity etc. otherwise it is merely mechanical action.
9. Mithyätva or Delusion means:
• False knowledge about the attributes of our soul and worldly realities.
• One does not know the Truth but one firmly believes the Untruth is Truth.
• Belief is held with absolute conviction and belief is not changeable even by compelling counter argument or proof to the contrary.
• Mithyätva (not Karma) is the root cause of all Sufferings.
10. Kashäya means Anger, Ego, Deceit, Greed, Attachment, Aversion and other vices.