Jainism

Jainism, Jainism also (Sanskrit, जैन, m. , Jaina, [ dʒaɪnʌ ], followers of Jina ) is an India-based religion / 5 in the 6th Century has emerged BC. A historically tangible founder Mahavira ( 599-527 BC to ). Jainism belonged to 2001/2002 about 4.4 million members, including approximately 4.2 million in India.

Tirthankara

The spiritual leader of Jainism are called Tirthankara ( ford makers) in order to clarify its role as mediator between the material and the spiritual world. From the one used for their historically elusive founder Mahavira honorary title of Jina (winner) religion got its name.

The Kalpa Sutra, a scripture of the Jains, recorded 24 Tirthankaras. The stories of Rishabha, the first Tirthankara, as well as Neminatha, Parshavanatha and Mahavira, the 22 -24. Tirthankaras are described in more detail in this document. Only the last two are considered historical figures. Mahavira (Sanskrit " the great hero " ) founded Jainism in the 6th century BC, while his predecessor Parshavanatha supposed to have lived about 350 years before.

After the dualistic oriented notion of Jainism to change age ( Kalpa ) in which human virtues and spiritual abilities grow, and those of decline forever from. In every age 24 Tirthankaras appear. The present aeon is regarded as an era of decline.

After Parshavanatha the mountain Parasnath said to be named, reached on the Parshavanatha according to legend, be nirvana. With its 24 temples, symbolizing the 24 Tirthankaras, the mountain is an important place of pilgrimage. Another popular shrine is Shravanabelagola.

History of Religion

Jainism has how Buddhism has its roots in Brahmanism, the predecessor religion of Hinduism. According to tradition, the church was the first Tirthankarasi Rishabha (around 1500 BC), an ascetic in the city Pithunda that Mahapadma Nanda later destroyed. From the mythological chain of 24 Jain prophets let the last two also prove historically: Parsva and Mahavira.

Parsva ( Parsvantha ) ( the 23rd Tirthankara, * to 872 BC) was the son of the king of Benares. He said the wealth from, became an ascetic and was an absolute knowledge. He founded eight municipalities, resulting possibly Mahavira came, and said to have died at the age of 100 years.

Vardhamana Mahavira, son of King Siddhartha was in Kundalpur in the Kingdom of Vaishali (now Bihar ) born. Some sources state he was born in 599 BC, in front of Buddha (around 560 BC ), others believe that Mahavira was younger than Buddha and had been born 539 or 549 BC. Mahavira's mother Trishala was foretold in a dream the messianic mission of Mahavira.

Like Buddha, Mahavira left aged 28 to 30 years, his family and the kingdom, everything left behind and became an ascetic. Twelve years he lived retired in forest and mountain regions and led a life of monastic existence until he returned to the company in order to proclaim his teachings.

In contrast to Buddhism, Jainism directed not as a reaction against the nobility of the Brahmanic society, but finds himself immersed in the traditional philosophical beliefs. Mahavira was both the founder of a new independent theory, on the other hand sought reforms of the existing system. Hinduism saw in the new doctrine because of their rigor no competition.

The first king of the Maurya empire in the 4th century BC, Chandragupta Maurya is said to have left his throne at the age and have become Jain ascetic. After this time, the spread Jainism in South India, where a large part of the community emigrated. Many Indian kings were converted to Jainism and supported him. Also in eastern India in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, the scope of Mahavira, Jainism flourished. In western India, he established himself in Gujarat under the rule Kumarpals. The Islamic invasion in the 13th century hindered the spread of Jainism, but did not lead to his disappearance, since high self-discipline and monastic commitment to resistance ensured. An approximation to the Hinduism was the takeover of box rules in an attenuated form in the Middle Ages.

Philosophy

Jainism assumes that there are two opposite principles in the world, spiritual and unspiritual. The spiritual is based on an infinite number of individual souls ( Jiva). The unspiritual includes five categories: exercise, rest, space, matter and time. All material is inspired, not only humans and animals but also plants or water.

The original purity and omniscience of the soul ( Jiva) is, however, marred by subtle substances that penetrate as a result of karma. The Jiva can be determined by the respective degree of purity by color, olfactory, tactile and gustatory nuances categorize, with eg the possible color spectrum of the Jiva of Black, Dark Blue over Dove gray, blazing red, yellow to white enough. So attested a yellow Geistesmonade the carrier balanced traits. Any karmic fact, whether or not intentionell, forces to remain in the cycle of rebirth ( samsara ) is repaid until all karma. A purification of the soul is achieved by moral way of life and strict asceticism Jainism. Is a soul freed from all impurities, so it rises to the highest heaven to remain there in quiet bliss. However, this stage does not reach all souls. The so-called abhavya jivas ( " incompetent souls " ) can never be freed from samsara due to their natural disposition.

Ethics

The three universal fundamental ethical principles, significantly, as the little ones vows ( Anuvratas ) called the lay followers of Jainism are Ahimsa (non-violence towards all souled immanent forms of existence ), Aparigraha (independence of unnecessary possessions ) and Satya ( truthfulness ).

Jain nuns and monks take their ordination in the following five Great Vows ( mahavratas ) at:

Because of the ideal of non-infringement of living things Jains eat only so that neither animal nor plant must die for it. Due to these principles do not practice Jain from every profession, which is why, for example, often work in trade and banking industry. Because of the severity of the conduct of life, the community was never very large. The laity were due to the Gewaltlosigkeitgebots not work in agriculture ( plowing creatures could be injured), nor could they devote themselves to the business of war.

This ethical rigor which already contributes at the same time a strong soteriological character in itself, purified Jain monks sometimes leads older by tapas exercises ( austerities and meditation practices ) in extreme cases, to the extent that they are by Samlekhama (hunger fasting and physical inactivity ) completely alienate the world, as only then the Jiva from recent karmic impurities ( whether positive or negative nature ) is preserved.

Train

Jains make up their religion considers two sects that Digambaras, " Luftgewandeten " in the southern regions of the Indian subcontinent, whose monks live traditionally the illustrations of its founder, Mahavira in utter nakedness accordingly, and Svetambaras, the " white -clad " majority in the northern Indian states.

The apparent differences are primarily in the doctrinal tradition of understanding that results from the respective interpretation, interpretation and authority of the collected writings of the claim. So mostly represents only the sect of Svetambaras the view that the canon, ie the sutras and the Agamas, was to settle in the scope of a holy scripture corpus.

Temporal classification

In the opinion of some followers of Jainism, the origins go back to the non-Aryan time, the so-called Dravidian period in the third, maybe even fourth millennium BC. Mahavira presented thus only the last of a long series of Jaina teachers dar. As in Hinduism, the followers of Jainism appreciate their own religion thus much older one. Than religious scholars and Indologists

The heterodox religion (because it does not recognize the Vedas ) was indeed always opposed by the Brahmins, but managed to keep up today with a flowering period in the Middle Ages.