Jainism is another religion that I am not too familiar with. There are many Jains in our school, and I believe I actually signed up for a club about Jainism earlier this semester, yet I have still not learned anything about this religion until I started this research. Learning about these religions have helped provide me a new perspective and a better appreciation for what these faiths teach, and Jainism has been no exception. By further studying this religion, I have learned key values that I can apply to my life. 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 …show more content…
Jains believe that the world goes through different alterations, or swings. So currently, Jains believe that we are in the fourth swing, and it is a downward swing. Jainism is deeply rooted in the beliefs of non-violence. Followers of Jainism believe that every single thing has life; this even includes stones, trees, and sands. They believe that all living things have souls and are equal. Every soul is potentially divine and it has innate qualities of infinite knowledge, perception, power, and bliss. Mahavira led himself to starvation due to his belief in that every single thing has life, but generally Jains do not follow that path. At the very least, Jains are vegetarians and prevent trying to harm things. Jains, just like Buddhists, believe in karma and they believe that karma deeply directs out reincarnation and our bodies. The main goal of Jainism is to escape this cycle of birth and death and reach Moksha. Anything can reach the level of Moksha, even animals, or anything with a soul. Humans seem to have the best opportunity to reach Moksha. Jains believe that human life is a rare opportunity for the soul to reach enlightenment and, therefore, Moksha. People who reach the ultimate goal of Moksha are known as Tirthankaras. Jains do not worship any Gods, but they do hold Tirthankaras with high regard. These Tirthankaras were able to reach the ultimate goal of Moksha, so Jains greatly revere them. Essentially, through learning more about the tenets of Jainism, I have learned that Jainism truly values being simple and being one with nature. Jains are a very peaceful people and they live their lives in humbleness and tranquility. Even in their cardinal principles encourage this peaceful lifestyle such as non-violence, multiplicity of views, non-possessivenes, non-stealing, and chastity. Ultimately, Jainism shows us that we should live moderate
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.
The book Buddhism Plain and Simple, by Steve Hagen, caught my attention and became more interesting to me than I thought. I have always heard of the religion Buddhism, but I never knew what it was all about. I never thought that Buddhism was as huge as it is. I knew that it existed in other countries, but I never knew what exact countries. Many of the views in this book surprised me and the book taught me a lot about morals and better ways to live your life. The word “ Awareness” is talked heavily all through this book. For Buddhists, this is probably the most important aspect in their religion.
Sacks, B. (2014). Modern Jainism: One Of The Fastest Growing Religions Is Changing Tradition. Retrieved from http://www.neontommy.com
Hinduism and Buddhism have different similarities and are in some ways connected to each other. Some of the practices of the two religions are similar in various ways and there are several examples to show this.
Into the world, many religions were born; out of all of them Buddhism and Hinduism are both one of the oldest surviving religion. Hinduism is very polytheistic, it is believed to have been established around 1500 B.C but it has no founder or an origin, while Buddhism on the other hand was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who ordinarily allotted as the Buddha, which implies the “Awakened or “illuminated one”. Both religions come from the Indian roots.
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.
Buddhism is one of the worlds major religions with 300 million followers around the world. Buddhism has many beliefs, tradition, and practices based on teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. It is a religion that doesn't involve in having a belief in a God or Gods. many people believe Buddhism is a way of life or a philosophy. Buddhists believe that Buddha is not God and he didn't say he was God, but he was a man that taught people the path to enlightenment that he learned from his own experience. Many believe that Buddhists worship statues of the Buddha, but by bowing to the Buddha statue they are paying their respect and expressing their gratitude for his teachings. There are also different types of Buddhism because it changes from country to country do to different cultures and customs. Buddhism is believed to originate in northern India in 563 BC. It is also believed that the traditions of Buddhism was taught by Siddhartha Gautama also called the Buddha meaning the enlightened one or awakened. Siddhartha Gautama was born to a rich family in Lumbini India. When Siddhartha Gautama reac...
All three believe in the afterlife and in some form of reincarnation. Of course, how you reach that state is different in each. These religions also believe in the concept of karma, or how your actions in life will decide your fate. When looking at how each views rituals and sacrifice, we can also note that all three religions believe in having an extremely personal connection with their supreme deity. However, as was previously noted, they differ on how that connection is made, In regards to ritual and sacrifice, between Hinduism and Buddhism, we see food sacrifice, and between Jainism and Buddhism we see the belief of
...earn how to be completely aware of my surroundings in order to experience the serenity that comes with meditation. Overall, my experience of the Buddhist religion was very eye-opening. Not only did I get to acquire more knowledge on the Buddhist way of life, but I also got to practice the traditions and rituals of a different culture outside of my own.
As I reflect on spiritual disciplines it is easy for me to look at them and weed out the ones that I do not think apply to me and the ones that I am drawn towards. But as I press into God and ask him what he sees fit and what I need more of, the picture begins to looks different than what I thought I saw before. Since I am so obviously human, I would rather see my life through a different more accurate lens than one that is tainted and imperfect like those of my human eyes. When I look at my life spiritually it is easy for me to see the spiritual disciplines that just come naturally to me such as worship and service. Since I know that those are areas of my faith that I thrive in, I tend to gravitate towards those to try and satisfy my spiritual life but I leave other parts to suffer. I want to gain better understanding of my faith and ultimately cultivate a deeper relationship with the Father.
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
I would like to start with Hinduism because I feel this religion had the biggest impact on me not only as a student but also as a person. I had always previously been interested in this religion therefore; my drive to understand this religion was stronger in my opinion than it was for most of the other religions we learned. Before taking religions,
Buddhism is not just a religion but also a lifestyle for millions of people all over the world. Unlike any other religion Buddhism requires a ton of self-reflection and self-motivation to follow. From the life of Gautama to modern day Buddhist, it has always been steeped in rituals and following the teaching of the dharma. Knowing the truths and using that knowledge to follow the eightfold path is at the core of Buddhism. Knowing the different branches of Buddhism and there origins has given me a greater since of Buddhism around the world. Though reading the text over and over again I can say I have gained not only a greater knowledge but also an appreciation for those that choose to follow the teachings of Buddha.