Essay Jainism: Peaceful Coexistence With All Living Beings

(Wangu,11). Hindus believe that all their actions and deeds will have some future effect-either this life or in the future. This idea is called the law of Karma. (Wangou,13) The Hindu social structure is divided into four sections, called the caste system. Particular castes have certain duties in the society, and their own set of beliefs regarding diet, contact, employment..etc. One must be responsible to upholding these duties. The family and society is clearly sacred to the Hindus and fulfilling these obligations is a religious duty (Wangu, 12).

Jainism treats the issue of life and death in a very similar way. Followers believe that living a non-violent life and respecting the sacred life existing around people (according to the Jains, everything in the world, including the inanimate, has a soul) may release the human being from the vicious circle of re-incarnation. Jains also recognize the eternal nature of the human soul and believe it exists as enmeshed in the human’s or object’s body during a whole life. However, Jainism assumes that the soul parts from the body when it does to be re-incarnated into something (or somebody) else, which means Jains do not recognize the unity of soul and body. This is actually the principle of all three religions—they pose little value to the human life because all followers believe that the soul will still remain in the human world, but will only change its appearance once re-incarnated into some other being or object. (McKay et al., 2008)

1. Ahimsa- nonviolence belief means extremely gentle or harmless. This is the core belief in Jainism. It includes avoiding occupations that may harm other living animals including insects, using items made from animals such as leather and feathers.

     Jainism was distinguished for their extreme practices, even to the severity of death by self starvation. They focus on asceticism or the mortification of the flesh and individuals, striving toward moral perfection by means of nonviolence. They especially avoid harming any living creature since every manifestation of nature has

The view of good and evil in Jainism also is to a great extent similar to that in Hinduism. The concept of karma occupies a place of importance in Jainism also, however, slightly different. In a person’s life god gives rise to happiness and evil to pain and misery. ‘Punya’ is the consequence of good deeds and ‘Paap’ of evil. In Jainism as a man does, he is repaid with it. One who sows ‘Paap’ or evil, gets evil in return and one who sows ‘Punya’, finds everything good in his life. Moksha is the elimination of everything good and bad. Evil karmas or wrong doings result in low birth in the next life. So, Jainism also views good and evil as a part of a person’s life.It is our Karma that according to Jainism determines the quality of our life. (Sivananda, 2004)

Jains view karma as a physical substance accrued through harm to other life. Sikhs believe karma from a previous life affect the circumstances of your life now, much same way Hindus view karma.

It entails a lifetime of practice and includes being as gentle and harmless as can be. It involves restraint from any act of violence and the Jains uphold this belief with the highest regard. They understand that it takes a great deal more than not harming other living beings but also from harming oneself. The concept of Jains is to achieve freedom of spirit. “Jains do accept ending one’s own life, but we must understand the practice form the Jain point of view and within the context. Jains see all life as a preparation for the liberation of the jiva (Spirit) from the body, and when a person is sufficiently evolved spiritually, that person can then make the final choice to no longer create more karma” Malloy(2013). The Jains believe in nonattachment to earthly possessions, and therefore one can find honor is ending one’s life. Sallekhana or holy death is “the most highly esteemed method, however, is self-starvation,” Malloy (2012.) There by withholding from food the Jains are becoming more selfless and freeing his or her spirit from the earthly plane and achieving a high level of

Different from other religions, Hinduism presses biology and the Divine are one (48, 51). This is expressed through the following and belief of Shiva and Shakti. Shiva, is an absolute cosmic being and the sheer life force. Shakti is the absolute power of the universe the whole of the cosmic their progeny (48). Hinduism has several variations that make this religion very complex to understand; to simplify this “way of life,” simply think Dharma; while it’s a broad term in Hinduism it is very important. Summed as the moral behavior of an individual and becomes known as, rita, when this behavior is in accordance with the cosmic order (49). By practicing dharma, one upholds the social order. In dharma, one is constantly reflecting and self-correcting in any areas of opportunity for improvement. So dharma can be viewed as the saying, you reap what you sow. This “leaping out” or “skimming to a different level,” leading us then to moksha, which is a final quest in the life path of Hinduism (49). According to the Laws of Manu, dharma and moksha, are just two of the four goals of life, listed here in order of

A third teaching of Jainism is that lying and exaggeration are damaging practices that are to be avoided. On another hand Jainism also teaches that “absolute truth” is impossible to express because everyone experiencing any given situation from a unique perspective. Other teachings condemn stealing, and confine acceptable sexual practices to those between a married couple, both of which try to curb improper desire, and stop the perpetuation of pain inflicted on others. These teachings, which emphasized acceptable societal practices are similar to the Dharma of Hinduism, which emphasized social obligations (Molloy, p196, 2010).

Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism are some of the most widespread faiths that follow this belief pattern, calling it samsara, which is the (karma-run helm of birth, death, and reawakening) (Fisher, 2014). They believe that the body is born repeatedly but that karma is carried onto the new form. Good karma forming is when the individual implements good deeds throughout their life and negative karma forming is when the individual does evil deeds during the course of one’s life, that not only distresses the person during their current life span but also all impending reincarnations. This idea of karma is used to explain many facets of a person’s life as their ambiance in their present life and all former lives will form what happens in their life. What is most fascinating is that the objective for the persons that shadow this route is not to have respectable lives born of virtuous karma but as a substitute halt this point though various lifespans of good

Hindus understand the nature of the universe through several ways. In Hinduism, the principle of karma plays a very large role in their beliefs of reincarnation and the caste system. Karma refers to one’s actions and the necessary effects of that action. Hindu’s believe in reincarnation, which means that one will be reborn in a new life when they die in their current life. When they are reincarnated, Hindus have the opportunity to change castes. The different castes range from the priests at the top to the untouchables at the bottom, and it is obviously better to be at the top of the caste system. Karma’s role is so significant because it determines if one moves up or down in the caste system in their next life. What one wants is what they will become. This cycle, also known as samsura, continues for eternity until one becomes enlightened. Another important belief of Hinduism is Brahman, or the ultimate source of all being. Brahman is considered to exceed all human conception, meaning that it is almost impossible to find. However, through Vipassana, seeing the world as it truly exists, one can transcend sense and intellectual perception by seeing through the

Hinduism and Buddhism are both eastern traditions with much to say about the human condition as well as the reason human beings exist at all. In some ways they are different while also being similar in other ways. In this essay, those differences will be discussed and the similarities examined for their message. In conclusion, we will examine what these two faiths offer to the human beings of the twenty-first century.

Buddhism and Jainism both believe in the concept of karma as the force responsible for all of the suffering in existence. Both also acknowledge the absoluteness of karma and its unavoidable effect on the beings who are subject to the cycle of birth and death. But they differ in the concept of the nature of karma and how it impacts the various beings. According to the beliefs held by Jainism, karma is not only a result of a being’s actions, but a real substance that becomes attached to each jiva, or self, while it takes part in many actions throughout the course of its existence. This karma, which is made up of tiny particles, binds to the being until it is cleansed through the observation of the morals and practices of the Jain religion, including pure conduct and severe austerities. There are two types of karma within Jainism, one that is known as “harming” karmas and there is “non-harming” karmas. The karmas can be fully liberated through moksha alone. In Buddhism, as in Hinduism, karma is a consequence of one’s

Jains have five incredibly important aspects that they follow. The first is ahimsa, non-harm, not only to themselves but to everyone and their environment. Next, Jains believe in telling the truth; they don't believe in over exaggerating or lying because it can cause pain to someone (which brakes ahimsa).

Both Jainism and Buddhism originated in India. Yet, unlike Hinduism, neither is based on the Vedas, and both were alternatives to the ritual-oriented Brahmanism of India. The extreme antiquity of Jainism is well documented from ancient Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, but the teachings