Prashant K. Jain
“All beings hate pain; therefore one should not kill them. This is the quintessence of wisdom: not to kill anything.”
Sutrakritanga (Jainism)
“With the three means of punishment, words, thoughts and acts, ye shall not injure living things.”
Jaina Sutras (Jainism)
In today's world, where war has become a means to all goals while ideals of brotherhood and love have lost their meaning, the above Jain tenets seem to be like guiding lights in the darkest of caves. Jainism, one of the most ancient religions of the world, can alone bestow today's violence-driven world a new dimension of thinking, a new directive for living. To some this may seem paradoxical; superficially, one could define Jainism as the religion which enjoins adoration and worship of Jina s. But once you look beneath the surface, you discover: Jainism is not just a religion or a set of guidelines for idol worship, it is in fact a way of life and at that, a very practical one. To understand this, one would have to examine the very foundations of this great religion.
As per documented history, Jainism has been in existence for at least 5000 years, although it was made into a popular religion by Mahavira (599 BC), the 24th Thirthankara. Since then, it has earned it's reputation as the most difficult religion to practice because of its uncompromising emphasis on austerities and self mortification. But the experienced amongst us know that truthful and honest paths are often the most difficult.
Jains are the followers of Jina s. Jina means victor. Jina s are the victors of their inner enemies, which according to Jainism are Anger, Ego, Deceit and Greed. Who wouldn't agree? Conquering these inner vices would definitely open the door to a happy life in an otherwise materialistic sorrow-ridden society of today. The Jain code of conduct is made up of the following five vows: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness), and Brahmacharya (chastity). Jain religion focuses much attention on non-possessiveness towards material things through self-control, self-imposed penance, abstinence from over-indulgence, voluntary curtailment of one's needs, and the consequent subsiding of the aggressive urge. If every being on earth were to follow these vows, much of the crime and evil would vanish from this earth. Would there be a need for another heaven?
The guiding principle of Jainism is the Reverence for All Life (Jiva Daya), a principle which includes pacifism and vegetarianism. Jains have been unique in the history of mankind in never having condoned war, the caste system, animal sacrifice, and the killing of animals for food, clothing, or any reason. Jainism offers a cultural insistence on compassion towards all living beings - man, bird, beast, plant and also microbes, a society of ethics that can dramatically change the world. In a way, many Jain views overlap with the idea of environmental conservation. A true Jain limits the amount of water he uses to bathe, he doesn't drive unless necessary. Do not waste food; take as much as you can eat. Use energy wisely; turn lights off when you leave the room. Paper is made from trees; every paper wasted is an unnecessary loss of life. Because they believe that life is everywhere, observant Jains try not to waste resources. Thus Jainism has been showing the right path for eons, what scientists and environmentalists have proposed just in the last few years.
Ahimsa is at the base of all interaction in Jainism. Mahatma Gandhi himself acknowledged the powerful impact the Jain philosophy of Ahimsa had upon his personal and political decisions. His example inspired pacifists around the world, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Thus Jainism has proven to given even politics a righteous direction.
Vegetarianism is a way of life for a Jain. It has been scientifically proven that a vegetarian diet confers a wide range of health benefits; vegetarians suffer less from many of the diseases linked to a modern Western diet: obesity, heart disease, hypertension, cancer and myriad such ailments. Besides health, a Jain diet provides a favorable economics. The economist Ehrlich has shown that, to grow one pound of wheat requires only sixty pounds of water, whereas production of one pound of meat requires 2500 to 6,000 pounds. Becoming a vegetarian could potentially save an individual and the nation thousands of dollars. Considering all this, it's hard to see how vegetarianism isn't the perfect way of diet.
Let's look at the concept of fasting (Upvasa) propounded by Jainism and followed by Jains since ages.. There is scientific and medical backing of the fact that fasting triggers a truly wondrous cleansing process that reaches right down to each and every cell and tissue in the body. Within 24 hours of curtailing food intake, enzymes stop entering the stomach and travel instead into the intestines and into the bloodstream, where they circulate and gobble up all sorts of waste matter, including dead and damaged cells, unwelcome microbes, metabolic wastes, and pollutants. By rebuilding immunity, health is naturally restored and disease disappears. Indeed, fasting is the world's most ancient and natural healing mechanism - a therapeutic encounter which is in direct contrast to the usual non-involvement in the physician-directed, disease-oriented medical practice of today.
Jain meditation and spiritual exercises (e.g. Pratikamana) do not rely on secret rituals or promise students occult or psychic powers. Jain meditation not only offers relaxation, it works on far deeper levels. It is attuned to modern psychology and seeks to encourage us to overcome negativity, to erase and replace conditioning and influences which have not allowed us to fulfill our potential. Besides worship and spirituality, times, teachers (Acharya) and members (Shravaka) of the Jain community have focused much attention on education, the true need of a modern society.
Food, health, morality, spirituality, ethics, environment and politics - Jainism has touched every sphere of ancient and modern life. Would you still disagree? Jainism is not just a religion; it's a practical, righteous and blissful way of life.