Zoroastrianism And Jainism Similarities

Through Zoroastrianism these religions set up the basis for many of their ideals like heaven and hell, judgment, everlasting life, etc. without Zoroastrianism as there basis they would never share the commonality or universal theme throughout them all which is the afterlife. Although they may not agree on where they go, they do agree that there is life after death which never would have been a commonality between the three without the influence of Zoroastrianism.

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)

One key element Zoroastrianism and Judaism share is a monotheistic view on God. Both share in the belief that there was creator for everything, and this creator has numerous names in both religions. While they may share this view, Zoroastrianism also believes in a dualistic view for good and evil (pg. 229). Zoroaster taught that two spirits stemmed from the creator Ahura Mazda. Whether one chose to follow Spenta Mainyu – the Beneficent Spirit, or Angra Mainyu – the Evil Spirit, determined their fate regarding heaven and hell. The afterlife is another key element they share. While Judaism does not believe in a heaven or a hell, they do believe in Sheol which is the place of the dead. Sheol is a place of darkness where both the righteous and

As we all know death of humans has been one of the utmost mysteries we would all like to solve. Although the ancient Mesopotamia, Egyptian, and Hindu all believed in an afterlife, their understanding and celebration if any, seems to be a little different. Mesopotamians were afraid of death, although they believed in afterlife they also had strong belief about the spirits still being alive. The Egyptians had an understanding and outlook on death, in which they believed in an afterlife, but they also believed in preserving the body. However, the Hindu also had the same perspective on afterlife, they were also very religious, but the way they went about it was much different than those of Mesopotamia and Egyptians.

Jainism is one of the oldest practicing religions, although, today Jainism appears in its present day form in the areas of Northeastern India, just as it did thousands of years ago. It's a religion composed in arrangement so that it's characteristic are associated with the religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. In the beginning, however, the Jains prayed to the Hindu gods mainly for earthly support like a male heir, long life, and prosperity. Jainism can be trace its beginnings to the Indus river valley civilization of three thousands B.C. Due to the reaction and demands of the Indian religion by the Hindu Brahmans and its Brahman priesthood, there arose two independent religions with who rejected the materialistic goals and

Upon death in Zoroastrianism a person’s soul will be judged at the Bridge of Discrimination; the follower of Truth will cross and be led into paradise, and the adherents of Lie will fall into hell. Zoroastrianists believe that evil will be wiped off the face of the Earth and will be burnt. The Gathas and the Seven Chapters form part of the larger work, the Yasna. In the Yasna there are hymns that praise specific Gods, and the code of law that they are to follow.

Firstly, on the day a Hindu Indian dies, the dead Hindu is brought home or right outside the home by friends and family members, and the dead is laid on a floor covered in cow feces because cow feces are seen as a sacred purifying agent. Secondly, one designated family member will sprinkle the dead body with water and cover the body with new clothes. Thirdly, the dead body is placed on a rope bed and carried by loved ones to the burial site. Yet, only the men are allowed to go to the burial site, and the women stay home to mourn. Fourthly, crying is not allowed at the burial site because it believed that the dead will accidentally take in the tears and mucus from the mourners, and that can have corrupting effects on the dead. Fifthly, the body will usually then be cremated, and while the body burns, the lead mourner will smash the skull of the dead. Opening of the head will release the soul and allow it to go to its new residence (Bregman, 2009). These are the main events that happen in a traditional Hindu Indian

Hindus believe in an eternal soul that carries on after death, known as an atman. Buddhist believe in a finite self, with no eternal soul lasting beyond the grave, known as an anatman.

Death is one of the only things guaranteed in life and most religions have meaningful and precise customs, traditions, and funerary practices revolving around death. From specific protocols for preparing the body to performing certain duties during the memorial service. The structure that religion provides around dealing with death offers guidance to grief stricken survivors and fulfills religious obligations. The two religions I chose to focus on for this paper is Buddhism more specifically the Mahayana sect of Buddhism and religion I the Mayan civilization. Mahayana Buddhism and Mayan religions have similar aspects in dealing with death and the funerary practices such as cremation.

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

Death is something that everyone talks about daily, but the most important thing that people do talk about when someone is deceased is whether he or she wanted a religious burial. While many similarities exist between different religions, the beliefs and rituals surrounding death in the Hindu and Jewish religions vary greatly. The Jewish community and the Hindu community play important roles in the death of their deceased loved ones. Upon the death of a loved one, Hindu people believe that the ashes or remains must be scattered, preferably on water, while the Jewish faith strictly believes that all deceased people must have a tombstone to mark their permanent resting place. Hindu people believe in reincarnation, or life after death, while

In Zoroastrianism, Removal of the Dead on page 254-255 from paragraph one to nine illustrates the conversation between the Zarathushtra and Ahura Mazda. Zarathushtra is the founder of the Zoroastrianism who had conversation with the lord known as the Ahura Mazda. Zoroastrianism is a religion where death bodies are placed on the silent tower to be eaten by the dogs and vultures. In this passage, the conversation demonstrates the purpose of placing the dead bodies on the tower of silence. When a person dies, the corpse demon known as the druj nasu enters the body and contaminates it. Burying and cremating is not an option because the corpse demon can infect the earth through the dead bodies. The only way to keep the demon away is to feed the dead bodies to animals. In paragraph seven line1, Ahura Mazda describes that druj nasu infects bodies like a parasite which, initiates from the northern region. The idea of death is taken very seriously in the Zoroastrianism because through dead bodies demons can pollute the earth and spread quickly. This passage also shows that the earth belongs to only living organisms, so there is no place for

230). Ultimately Zoroaster’s believed that salvation was a choice of the individual, because they are the keepers of their destiny. They are held accountable for their actions. Zoroastrians have a process for judgement on the soul after death. The soul stays with the body for three days after death.

Jainism and Buddhism acknowledge extremely similar aspects in their respective religions. They both have a grounded belief of karma, samsara, and one of liberation. Although these basic principle are the same, they have differences within them. In this essay, it will discuss the similarities and differences between the basic beliefs and traditions regarding karma, samsara, recognition of the self, and final liberation in regards to Jain and Buddhist religions.

Jainism and Buddhism share some common ground and similarities in their beliefs and practices, and they also have features that make them unique and distinctively different from the other. Some of the central similarities of Jainism and Buddhism can be found in when and where their traditions originated, resemblances in their primary teachers, their religious goals, nonbelief in a creator, and their values of nonattachment and nonviolence. Some differences between Jainism and Buddhism are found in their karmic principles and the conception of the soul. There seems to be more parallels shared between Jainism and Buddhism than discrepancies.