How Jainism is Most Peaceful Religion in The World?
In October
2016, a thirteen-year-old girl in India died after completing a 68-day
religious fast. The girl and her family were devout followers of Jainism, which
celebrates a lifestyle of radical self-control and restriction. This time it
went too far, but it made us want to know, what exactly is Jainism?
Jainism
What exactly is Jainism? | The Truth About Jainism
Jainism is
one of the oldest religions in India. Its adherents do not worship one god who
is almighty, such as Christianity or Islam. Rather, Jains believe that the
universe is made up of jiva (Alive), which is souls or consciousness,
and ajiva (Soulless), which is time, space, physical matter, and
everything else that doesn't have a soul.
Both jiva
and ajiva are thought to be eternal and indestructible. Jains believe that
souls live in a cycle of reincarnation and that karma, a state of
unconsciousness, attaches itself to the soul throughout life. The ultimate goal
of Jainism is to eliminate all karma.
Those
without any karma are thought to be liberated from the cycle of life and death
and instead become a perfect, god-like being or 'moksha'. Achieving this
divine presence is the goal of Jain life. Unlike other religions that emphasize
a 'final judgment day", there is no supreme being to cleanse your karma or
forgive your sins. As a result, followers must reach liberation on their own,
through a life of strict self-discipline and righteousness.
Specifically,
Jains must make vows to achieve Moksha:
- They must not steal or lie.
- Must not be swayed by their sexual desires.
- Should not be emotionally attached to their possessions or anything in the physical world.
- They must not intentionally harm another soul.
The Religion of the Self-Disciplined Life
 |
| Jainism |
The word
"Jain" is actually derived from a Sanskrit word meaning
"conqueror". Thus the goal of Jain is to conquer all things that
would prevent salvation. The vow of non-violence is one of the most defining
features of Jainism because of the great lengths followers take to adhere to
it.
Jain monks
are known to sweep away insects from the street so that they're not stepped on.
Also, although all Jains are vegetarians, some will end up not eating root
vegetables, such as potatoes or onions, due to biological damage during
harvest.
One of the
most prominent symbols of Jainism is the Swastika.
Before it was used by the Nazis, the Swastika was Sanskrit for 'well-being',
adopted by Jains to symbolize the cycle of reincarnation. They could be reborn
as a human, a hellish being, a subhuman, which is like a plant, or a heavenly
being. These four existences are symbolized by the four points on the swastika.
Jainism
developed alongside Buddhism and Hinduism around the 6th century BC, and as a
result, the religions have many similarities. For example, Hindus and Jains
believe in karma and reincarnation, but the Jains reject the idea of a
creator god and a 'Caste System' of the sect. It is thought that
there are millions of Jain followers, although the exact number is difficult to
say.
A vast
majority live in India, however, the religion can also be found in immigrant
communities in Kenya, the US, Canada, and the UK. Jainism is revered throughout
the world for its great rigidity and commitment to non-violence. Around the
same time, Jainism was developing in India.
Conclusion
Thus, we can say that Jainism is one of the peaceful religions in the world because I believe that other religions are also messaging about peace, they also give guidance to living life peacefully.
Other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or any other religions, all are the message to maintain peace in the world.
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