Guillermo Briones
Panther ID: 5652712
REL3308
Professor Adam Gorelick
Midterm Exam
#2 How do ahimsa (non-injury to life) and asceticism (denial of worldly comfort) fit together in Jain doctrine and practice?
Jainism is a tradition that arose in Ancient India and also contains religious and philosophical aspects. They have about five million followers in which the majority all live in India. Less than half of a percent of the population in India is still participating in the Jain tradition. The temples in which they worship in are used as a model for its excellent architecture, an area in where they have excelled along with art, literature, and education. In the education sector, there was a series of great teachers during the 21,000-year period
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The conquerors can also be referred to as Tirthankara. The last conqueror, Mahavira, is the one in which Jains devote themselves to worship the most. He was born to an aristocratic family but turned to asceticism, meaning his practices consisted of negating himself from physical comfort or pleasures for religious reasons. He turned to this lifestyle in order to follow the religious footsteps of the previous conqueror, Parshva (Anthology of world religions 134). His ascetic process included rigorous fasting, meditation, and lack of clothing. He refused to harm any life form whatsoever during this process and this was known to Jains as ahimsa (Anthology of world religions 134). Ahimsa is the prohibition of killing living beings and this was a main prevention for the religion of Jainism. This was a fundamental principle that was adopted by the founders from the Pani people, which were the bearers of the "Culture of Shramana" and an example of this is the religion of Jainism (Jainism 37). However, the preachers introduced an explanation about ahimsa to which that only conscious harm is frowned upon but not when the reason being is a …show more content…
Ahimsa is part of the asceticism process and both of these are important to attain kevala, omniscience. Ahimsa and asceticism are both evidently part of doctrines and religious practices. In terms of religious practices, asceticism and ahimsa go hand-in-hand when it comes to karma. Without any regard for comfort and maintaining non-violence, it can help remove impurities which can then lead to favorable rebirths. In the area of Jainism doctrines, The Five Great Vows is a dictation for severe asceticism and ahimsa. Monks and nuns are committed to following this type of religious practice while laypersons can follow to their best ability. These vows are easily understood but an obstacle to fulfill. These vows are one's own self-effort for salvation since faith in God or gods will not be sufficient in order to achieve enlightenment (Anthology of world religions 134-139). These practices can influence family lives as well. Entering into the dedication of ascetic practices, in particular, they are associated with the head of the household. In the Jain tradition, the head of the household commences on this path once, during marriage and family
Jain and Jain renouncers are very dedicated to the practice of ahimsa, or nonviolence. They are very aware of their world around them and what will happen to their karma if they harm any walks life. Jains try to eventually purge any negative karma they might have accumulated over their lifetime. Through this dedication to nonviolence, Jains work tirelessly to make sure that their intentional actions will not bring harm to anything or anyone. Many objects and traditions are connected to objects that can be found in their environment. Jains coexist with the world and wish to be a part of it and not leave a mark on it. Through their practice of ahimsa, Jains have formed a unique relationship and lifestyle practice with the world around them.
Buddhism’s approach to ethics and practices are centred upon the principal beliefs of; the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. By adhering to these guidelines, Buddhists are ensured that they are taking a step closer to escaping Samsara, and attaining the revered state of Nirvana,
Throughout history, family events that occur the same time from generation to generation are considered convictions or religions. Religions are developed from all areas of the world with specific guidelines and values to lead a balanced spiritual life. Included in the world of events is religion the primary foundation of the life of an individual. According to the textbook, all religions share the goal of reconciliation, tying people back to something behind the surface of life (Fisher, 2014). The purpose of this paper is to present the similarities and differences between the two religions, Daoism and Jainism. The cultural origin and geographical origin are also presented, along with the description of three (3) particular religious practices of both religions. The final instruction is provide an example of how the religions are practiced today in various locations of the world.
The philosophies of many cultures are presented and theories discussed are arranged according to distinct traditions that represent specific religions. Themes In Religion and Human Nature, Ward presents the reader with six major religious backgrounds that center as major themes in this novel. Ideals presented are: Advaita Vedanta there is no supreme self, Vaishnava there is an infinite number of souls, Buddhist there is no eternal self, and Abrahamic persons are embodied souls. Subsequent to these philosophies are Indian ideas of rebirth, Semitic belief, and the impact of scientific theories of biological evolution. Next, Ward presents the Christian Doctrine of original sin where he emphasizes the concept of materiality.
Listening as the family spoke to me about what is important in their family I couldn’t help but refer back to Marcus and Conner’s idea of interdependence versus independence. As the family spoke to me on how important it is that the soul reincarnates itself, which is when all bad karma is out of the body, I kept referring to the independent self. But often again when they spoke of theologies and learning constantly from what they take from others around them, I found interdependence. Both selves balance each other out but do not reside on one more than the other. Adhita kept telling me the main goal of being a Hindu is “self-realization or just to be free from any type of suffering or hardship/bad karma,” (You achieve this through reincarnation) you have to acknowledge the simultaneous efforts that take place to achieve this goal. “You can’t just set a high sta...
Because was constantly expose to others religions in India, it’s been influenced especially in the theory of rebirth and salvation, heaven, earth, and hell. They are very similar in the way the dress, ornaments, language, and literature with Hindus. Another similitude is the strict vegetarian diet. But they differ in religion practices, scriptures origins of the world, sacrifices, attainment of salvation, path of salvation, and liberation of the soul. In the Jainism, there is the path of right Belief, right Knowledge and Right Conduct. The Jainism and Buddhism have similar-like characteristics such as they do not follow the Vedas, and they support the Sramana culture. Both religions do not accept the permanent power of God as a creator of the world, and they strongly oppose to violent practice such as animal
Upon reading about the historical and religious background of Ancient India, one can clearly assume that the country was strongly influenced by three main religious teachings: Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. These three sects in religious thinking have many similarities as all recognize the life-cycle and the need of liberation, they worship one central deity that used to be a human who gained enlightenment and they all recognize the existence of the eternal soul and after-death re-incarnation. However, they also share a lot of differences that mark the underlying principles of practicing them. I will identify the scope of differences and similarities in these ancient religions in an attempt to understand why each attracted followers, why each was shaped a certain way and how they preserved the interest of followers on into the modern times as well.
Asceticism is derived from the Greek word “askesis”, meaning practice, bodily exercise, and athletic training (Cambell). Early Christians adopted this concept to foretell of the spiritual things in order to acquire habits of virtue. Virtue is the behavior showing high moral standards. There also is natural asceticism in meaning it is for self-improvement and aims directly to natural virtues such as temperance, patience, and chastity. The following will explain what asceticism is, why asceticism is practiced, and the nature of asceticism practices in Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
Chandragupta Maurya was a man who was very paranoid in his time of power. He greatly feared assassination. His food was always tasted before he consumed anything, and he had a secret police to look after him. There was also a very large army and inspectors. Chandragupta did not even sleep in the same bed more than once in his palace to make sure no one could kill him in his sleep. Finally, after years of ruling, Chandragupta Maurya became too paranoid for his own good and retired from ruling. He then handed over his power to his son, Bindusara. Chandragupta converted to Jainism in his late...
The ultimate boon creates a turning point in the heroine's journey and this can be anything that changes everything for them and those they are meant to help. That moment for Fa Mu Lan's journey through the 17-stages can be seen when she fights th baron and cuts off his head. This becomes the only way for her to save the day and her family. She does more then just save the day she fulfills her destiny and becomes a heroine and makes herself into the person that everyone can look up to. The mirror must see the viewer come and go and watch as she ages and grows into a different person. The mirror must now chose the part where she can change or even try to help the viewer. She has no end to her purpose and she can reflect anything and that can
Jainism is one of the oldest religions founded in India (“History of Jainism”). Jainism holds...
Most people in the world derive their religious beliefs and traditions from their parents and peer influences. From a religious point of view, “There are many definitions for the term ‘religion’ in common usage. [Broadly defined], in order to include the greatest number of belief systems: ‘Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life’” (Robinson, 1996). However, in examining Hinduism, it is difficult to label the practices as a religion. This paper will expound upon the Hindu traditions, taking into account the characteristics of sacred elements, their meaning, and significance.
Jainism; an ancient religion from India that shows individuals that the way to liberation and bliss is to live lives of harmlessness and renunciation. Jains believe that all things have a living soul. The quintessence of Jainism is concern for the welfare of every being in the universe and the health of the universe itself. All souls are equal and must be treated with respect and compassion. Jains are strict vegetarians and live like minimalists, avoiding as much waste as possible. Jains seek to attain ultimate liberation - which means escaping the continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth with the intent of the immortal soul living forever in a state of bliss. Once an individual has eliminated all karma from the soul, liberation is obtained.
Thus, I thought that trying out the Jain diet for my project would prove to be an interesting yet challenging experience to take part in so that I can gain a little bit of insight into what life as a Jain might be like. Additionally, the man in the well parable also resonated with me. Even though the man has fallen down a well and will probably be attacked by the snakes or swallowed by the python, he is still focused on the honey dripping from the bees. This made me think deeply about how illogical it is for a person to be so caught up with the trivial aspects of life when there are far more serious issues at hand, like impending death in the case of the
First I learned more about the history of Jainism. Jainism emerged around 500 BC in India; it actually started developing at the same time Buddhism was developing. Jainism and Buddhism are similar in that both of them have grown