Anveshan

About Jainism

Parasparopagraho Jivanam “All life is bound by mutual support and interdependence.”

Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that believes in non-violence as the highest duty of every individual.

Jain mythology postulates that their way of life has always existed since the beginning of mankind and that Mahavira was the last of a line of enlightened teachers called tirthankaras who appear in this world from time to time to guide people. According to Jain cosmology, there is no creator-god, but each living being has a potentially divine soul.

Historically one of the oldest ascetic traditions in the world, Jainism formally describes an ideal of navigating through life guided by the right vision, the right knowledge and the right conduct.

Jainism has elaborate discourse, spanning an atomic theory for the universe, to concepts of space, time, and motion. Ethics are formalized in different degrees, including the rules of conduct, consumption, food and wealth to the reduction and management of wastes. The classifications of knowledge and theories are detailed, and they accommodate multiple perspectives, including a seven-fold gradation of the degree of truth. To address the complex nature of reality, Jainism advocates anekantavada or “the doctrine of non-singularness.”

Many political leaders, from ancient kings to Akbar to Mahatma Gandhi, have been influenced by the Jain thinkers.

One of the richest and most educated religious minorities in India, throughout history Jains have made innumerable contributions to culture, business, art and literature amongst many other areas of society.

Anveshan - a project that pursues research-driven documentation of the Jain tradition.

Vision statement

The motto of Jainism is parasparopagraho jivanam or ‘all life is bound by mutual support and interdependence.’

Anveshan explores the essence of this motto and the eternal truths embodied by the Jain tradition. In our examination we hope to bring out its resonance with the self and society of contemporary times.

Where we are coming from

At Project Anveshan, our collective goal is to explore the tenets of Jainism and their relevance to society, both past and the present. As far as we can see, the larger problems facing the world today are related to consumerism, selfish ambition, attachment and our apathy towards the greater impact of our actions. By rediscovering the essence of parasparopagraho jivanam, perhaps we can bring out the significance of an alternate way of thought.

We have created a repository of perspectives on the subject. These will be presented for a global audience through online media, print and film.

The project is being supported by Pradeep Ghisulal Rathod.