Ajiva Vs Jainism

According to Jainism, what is the distinction between jiva and ajiva? What effect might this distinction have with regard to understanding Jain ethics? What are some of the applications of this metaphysical distinction?
Thesis
The distinction between jiva and ajiva, soul and non-soul, reflects a very straightforward and clear approach to religion that downplays mysticism and demands a system of ethics that respects the soul in everything. This reflects its origins in revolt against the priest caste and is the source of its pacifistic beliefs. Overall, this dualistic belief results in a religion that is very equal and open to all.

Jainism believes two types of material form all things in the universe. These two things are jiva and ajiva.
Jiva is the spiritual part of material and it means soul, life, or spirit. Ajiva is the unspiritual part of materials and it means “not jiva”. In other words nonsoul, nonspirit or nonlife.
Jiva is the part of material that tries to become enlightened and to become free and liberated.
Ajiva on the other hand is the part of material that doesn’t look for enlightenment. Instead, ajiva looks for pleasure, escape from pain, and self-interest.
The Jains believe in reincarnation and karma, just like the Hindus. Karma is a thing that adds up on the bodies of people and it either helps jiva or ajiva. When a person dies how they are reincarnated is determined by their karma. A lot of good karma will reincarnate them into something that is good and has lots of jiva, or something that is less enlightened and has more
ajiva.
The dualism between good and bad is very clear and straightforward in Jainism. This is probably part because Jains do not believe in god or gods like most other religions. There is no creator in their story. Instead, they believe the universe follows precise and straightforward rules. Karma for example is like a chemical reaction and what happens to you when you die could be predicted if you know how much karma a person has.
Because Jainism is easy to understand and its beliefs emphasize predictability, it indirectly downplays the influence of an educated priesthood. Unlike many other religions like Catholicism and Hinduism which have very complicated theology, Jainism keeps its beliefs easy to understand. This makes it easier for poor or uneducated people to understand their religion. This probably reflects the origins of Jainism. Jainism came from a revolt against the caste system that came from both poor people and aristocrats that feared the priesthood’s power. Because it began in this revolt it is not surprising that its beliefs make priests less important.
The important thing to understand Jain ethics is that both jiva and ajiva are in everything. Everything has both good and bad, material and spirit in it. This implies that everybody has the potential to be good or bad. It also means people should take care to not unnecessarily damage or harm things, as even the rocks have some life in them. Animals and people in particular have a lot of life, jiva, in them. In time, they will be reincarnated into humans and eventually they will reach transcendence. This is why Jains don’t want to hurt things or animals or people. While animals don’t have the ability to reflect and they can’t beat ajiva, Jains still believe everybody is made of the same two elements they are, everything has the same spiritual potential, and everybody is on the same path towards enlightenment. The animals will eventually be reincarnated into a human and then they will be able to transcend ajiva and reach enlightenment.
Although terapanthis has a hierarchy the rest of the Jain branches are not really hierarchical.
After all, if everybody is basically the same and everybody has the same spiritual potential, hierarchy and controlling people is like harming your brother or your friend. Also it’s very hard to make hierarchy compatible with Jainism. Most formal types of hierarchy like governments only exist through violence, which Jains strongly oppose. Nonattachment also makes it hard to fit hierarchy into the religion. The entire religion is about learning to beat ajiva and to grow past the limitations of desire. Building a formal hierarchy is going to make you more closely connected to the flesh since you are leading and directing and creating structure. This will hurt and not help people achieve enlightenment. In addition hierarchy is built on the idea that the people on the top are better than the people on the bottom, and Jainism is a religion that believes all life is equal and will eventually work its way to enlightenment. It’s not exactly compatible with believing that you are better than another
person.
The struggle to overcome ajiva and to grow in tune with jiva makes this religion a religion that anybody can reach enlightenment through no matter where they were born. A lot of religions benefit richer people over poorer people. The Catholics and Muslims believe pilgrimages bring you closer to God even though pilgrimages are very expensive. Jainism is different because everybody has the same spiritual nature. To become more spiritual, you give up your money. Money doesn’t actually help you become more enlightened or to come closer to enlightenment.
Although the textbook didn’t talk about it, the cyclical nature of the universe in Jainism probably is that way because everything is ajiva and jiva. If life is slowly moving towards enlightenment then with enough time through enough reincarnations the world will become enlightened. When the entire world is enlightened is probably when the universe starts a new cycle. It is a pretty way to think about the world because it means everything is always on a path to be something better. It also means the fate of the entire universe is connected. Everybody and everything has to achieve enlightenment for a new cycle to begin. If somebody else doesn’t achieve enlightenment the universe will wait for them to figure it out.
The Jain “gods” reflect this equality. Jain gods are beings that will be reincarnated eventually and aren’t really gods in the way that word is usually used. Going back to the history of Jainism, it started in a revolt against the priest caste. This makes the religion fascinating because even its gods need to improve themselves and they are not above the struggle of jiva over the desires of ajiva. Most religions have gods that are “above the rules” but Jain’s gods are in the rules. They will eventually reincarnate and if they did not get good karma they will end up losing their godhood and turning into something lower like a person. It almost sounds like a religious belief that developed to criticize the brahman caste and its power and elevation. Nothing is above enlightenment.
The holy figures in Jainism are twenty four saints that reached enlightenment called the tirthankaras. These saints were ordinary people but through devotion and practicing nonattachment they became perfect and became the saints. Just like the way the Jains think of gods this makes the religion accessible to everybody, even the poor and low caste. This again probably reflects its origins in revolt against the caste system of India. Everybody can become a saint if they become holy enough through practice.