Essay On Jainism

Jainism began as a monastic faith but then developed a lay movement. There are no priests in Jainism; monks and nuns are their clerics. Though Jains pray to the Hindu gods for earthly favours, such as long life, the true objects of their devotion are the Tirthankaras, or the Jain saints. The term Tirthanikara means “makers of the river crossing”; they are historical figures who achieved release of the eternal cycle of karma. To the Jains, the law of karma, not the will of the gods, determines human destiny.

Jains still practice Mahavira’s teaching with relatively few changes and live their lives by dharma (truth, teaching) that Mahavira advocated as one of strict asceticism, renunciation, and moral cultivation.

One of the interesting ways the Jains have contributed to culture is through the ethical code based on their philosophy. Their ethical code is founded on the main principle of ahimsa (non-violence). Many other religions, such as Buddhism, practice ahimsa, but the Jain concept is different. Violence is usually associated with causing harm to others, but in Jainism, it primarily refers to harming one’s own person, including behaviour that inhibits the soul’s ability to achieve moksha. In addition, they also believe violence against others ultimately harms one’s
Websites such as www.jainworld.com generate its own activities and services for Jain followers across the world. They have digitized scriptures so the concepts and ethical teachings are available to everyone. There are radio lectures and music, links for teachers and parents, a children’s corner, even a calendar of Jain events happening across the globe. It is due to the internet, social and mass media that Jainism has spread outside of India for the first time in the religion’s history, and now have flourishing communities in Africa, Europe, and North