Jainism is a spiritual paths that may predate Hinduism. Like Hinduism, Jainism follows a natural paths to liberation. Liberation can be achieved by following these three paths: right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct. On the surface Jainism appears to be very simplistic paths to follow. When you take a closer look this couldn’t be further from the truth.
1) Let’s take a look at some of the Jain teachings starting with jiva.
• Jiva: In Jainism, jiva is one’s soul, an individual’s higher consciousness separate of one’s physical being. When I speak of one’s soul, I’m speaking of one’s jiva. This is the only part of any human that can be saved. Through freeing one’s jiva from karmas, discovering one’s perfection, unchanging nature, nonviolence, …show more content…
Ahimsa is the strongest teaching in Jainism, killing any living being is the worst possible act. Humans have no right to think they are above even the smallest of organisms. The higher the life form, the greater amount of negative karmas on one’s jiva. Humans, gods, and higher animals are considered the highest life form. Others beings are grouped together according to the number of senses (touch, sight, taste, smell, hearing) these beings contain. “One-sensed” beings may only have the sense of touch. They include plants, earth-bodies in soil, minerals, and rocks, water-bodies that live in streams, rivers, and lakes, fire-bodies, and …show more content…
Today Jain teachings have switched focus from individual liberation and freedom, to a more worldly approach. Such as saving the environment, protecting animal rights, tolerance and peaceful co-existence for all mankind.
Jainism is a very appealing spiritual path for those that feel religion and religious organizations are closed minded and self-centered. The openness and acceptance of Jainism is evident by the teachings of tolerance, non-judgement, non-violence to all creation, and acceptance of other spiritual paths one may decide to explore.
These teachings are already incorporated into our daily lives. Think about it, when you recycle this helps protect the environment, decreases waste, and pollution. Picking up someone else’s trash and not littering protects the environment, wild animals, and our water supply. Sometimes not always, I will take a bug outside instead of killing it for being in my house. I prefer plants or an edible arrangement (fruit arrangement) instead of cut flowers. Everyone probably lives some parts of the Jain path, they just don’t know or don’t realize what they are
1) Let’s take a look at some of the Jain teachings starting with jiva.
• Jiva: In Jainism, jiva is one’s soul, an individual’s higher consciousness separate of one’s physical being. When I speak of one’s soul, I’m speaking of one’s jiva. This is the only part of any human that can be saved. Through freeing one’s jiva from karmas, discovering one’s perfection, unchanging nature, nonviolence, …show more content…
Ahimsa is the strongest teaching in Jainism, killing any living being is the worst possible act. Humans have no right to think they are above even the smallest of organisms. The higher the life form, the greater amount of negative karmas on one’s jiva. Humans, gods, and higher animals are considered the highest life form. Others beings are grouped together according to the number of senses (touch, sight, taste, smell, hearing) these beings contain. “One-sensed” beings may only have the sense of touch. They include plants, earth-bodies in soil, minerals, and rocks, water-bodies that live in streams, rivers, and lakes, fire-bodies, and …show more content…
Today Jain teachings have switched focus from individual liberation and freedom, to a more worldly approach. Such as saving the environment, protecting animal rights, tolerance and peaceful co-existence for all mankind.
Jainism is a very appealing spiritual path for those that feel religion and religious organizations are closed minded and self-centered. The openness and acceptance of Jainism is evident by the teachings of tolerance, non-judgement, non-violence to all creation, and acceptance of other spiritual paths one may decide to explore.
These teachings are already incorporated into our daily lives. Think about it, when you recycle this helps protect the environment, decreases waste, and pollution. Picking up someone else’s trash and not littering protects the environment, wild animals, and our water supply. Sometimes not always, I will take a bug outside instead of killing it for being in my house. I prefer plants or an edible arrangement (fruit arrangement) instead of cut flowers. Everyone probably lives some parts of the Jain path, they just don’t know or don’t realize what they are