J a i n i s m

Jai Jinendra

Jainism is a very ancient religion originated in India.

Jinas (Tirthankaras) are the founders of the Jain religion. Those who practice Jainism are called Jains. Jinas are self conquerors and Jains are followers of Jinas.

Jainism does not talk in terms of "thou shall not...do this or that". In Jainism there are no orders to obey !

As a religion which respects the individual, and which recognizes the potential of each and every person to become a Jina, Jainism does not believe in the caste system.

Its latest prophet Lord Mahavira, "the great conqueror of the self", was a contemporary of Lord Buddha, and he lived more than 2500 years ago in the same state of Magadha (today's Bihar-India) as did Lord Buddha. Buddha and Mahavira lived in Magadha during the same time period. 

Vegetarianism follows from Jainism's respect for life in general.

Jainism believes that the Universe and all its substances or entities are eternal. It has no beginning or end with respect to time. The Universe runs on its own by its own cosmic laws. All substances change or modify their forms continuously. Nothing can be destroyed or created in the Universe. There is no need of someone to create or manage the affairs of the Universe. Hence, Jainism does not believe in God as creator, survivor and destroyer of the Universe.

However, Jainism does believe in God, not as a creator, but as a perfect being. When a person destroys all his Karma, he becomes omniscient and omnipotent. He is liberated soul. He lives in perfect blissful state of Moksha (Heaven). This living being is God of the Jain religion. Every living being has the potential to become a God. Hence Jains do not have one God, but Gods are innumerable and their number is continuously increasing as more living beings attain liberation. 

Riddle of the Creation

The first question arises with the idea of creation is why should the God make the Universe at all ? Just because  it pleased him to do so, or he felt lonely and wanted company, or he wanted to create living beings who would praise his glory and worship or he does it in sport ? Then why should it please the creator to create a world where sorrow and pain are inevitable lot of the majority of his creatures ? Why should he not make them happier ?

Specialty of Jainism

Jainism, more than any other creed gives absolute religious independence and freedom to man. Nothing can intervene between the actions which we do and the fruits thereof. Once done, they become our masters. As my independence is great, so my responsibility is co-existence with it. I can live as I like, but my choice is irrevocable, and I cannot escape the consequences of it. No God or his Prophet or Deputy or Beloved can interfere with human life. The soul, and it alone is directly and necessarily responsible for what it does.

Universe is neither created not sustained by a Supernatural being, it is beginning-less, endless and operates in accordance of natural law.

Reality has two categories, jiva (soul) and ajiva (without soul).

Ahimsa doctrine of non-killing, non-violence and non-injury.

Belief in Law of Karma in the sense of cause and effect.

Hinsa (Violence), Nirdaya (Lack of Compassion), Krodh (Anger), Abhiman (Pride), Maya (Infatuation), Lobha (Greed), Dvesha (Hatred), Trishna (Craving) are the primary causes of suffering and injustice in the world.

Attachment to material objects is the primary cause of bondage and leads to greed and jealousy, which further leads to suffering and injustice.

Renouncing attachment to material object is a necessary condition for attaining peace and joy in the world and thereafter.

Rejects the ritualistic content of the Vedas but does not necessarily deny their higher teachings.

Does not believe in existence of God as creator, sustainer and moral governor of the world.

Goal of life according to Jain dharma is to attain Kevala (Liberation) whereas in other Hindu philosophies the goal is Moksha (Heaven). Both are similar, in that both emphasize transcending the world of names and forms to realize the truth.

Jainism grew out of the teachings of a series of historical teachers who became "enlightened" and hence liberated beings, the most recent being Mahavira (c. 599-527 BC), the 24th Jina, a near contemporary of the Buddha Sakyamuni. The historicity of Mahavira's immediate predecessor, Parsvanatha, is widely accepted, and he is believed to have lived in the 7th-6th century BC. The existence of the preceding 22 Jinas remains beyond historical verification but is embedded in the Jain pantheon, together forming the 24 Jinas of this particular age. At the heart of Jain teachings is the commitment to non-violence (ahinsa) to all living creatures, including insect and plant life. A natural consequence of this philosophy is strict vegetarianism and a tendency to go into occupations which do not interfere with nature, such as trade, commerce, and banking.
This commitment to living in harmony with nature is witnessed in a 15th century Jain Yatra painting in which the artist is celebrating nature in all its forms.
The life of the Jain laity is guided by what is known as The Three Jewels: right knowledge; right faith; and right conduct. Meritorious "right" conduct include the "giving away" of a part of one's wealth, in keeping with the other key principle of Jainism, aparigraha or non-possession. This principle guides the life and behavior of the laity, and is a strict principle of those who choose the ascetic path of renunciation in their quest to become a Jina.
This philanthropy can take many forms, and some are prescribed: these include endowing the making of images; erecting and supporting the renovation of temples; and commissioning of holy books. Over the centuries this has led to a large and sustained production of Jain religious art, a rich selection of which is presented in this exhibition. What is perhaps most remarkable about this exhibition is the variety of regional styles and iconographic diversity to be seen, when associated with a religion that is popularly seen as only having 24 largely indistinguishable Tirthankaras images (Fig. 1).
Early Jain theologians certainly opposed the worship of images and in all probability it was pressure from lay followers who generated the demand and pressure for actual images to assist in meditation and worship, or, more accurately in the Jain context, to serve as a "model" of behavior for those venturing along the Moksha marg, the path to enlightment.

The Jina image
The creation of the Jina image is among the earliest recorded figurative representations in Indian art. Inscriptional references from the 3rd century BC record the worship of Jina images. Archaeological evidence makes it clear that images were in demand from an early period: certainly image worship was well established in the Kushan period (1st-3rd century AD). Inscriptions from this period record that monks were encouraging members of the laity to commission images of the Jinas, possibly following the Buddhist practice of performing meritorious acts. Inscribed sculptures survive from both Mathura and Allichatra recording this patronage, much of which was undertaken by female laity and nuns. For example, an inscribed 2nd century Jina image in the exhibition was commissioned by a female lay devotee named Datta on the advice of her teacher and installed in AD 157 at the Vodva stupa, Kankali Tila, Mathura. An early text the Padmacarita of AD 473 extols the merits of building Jina-bhavanas (image houses) and installing images of Jina, though this practice was not universally- welcomed by all early Jain teachers. These dissenting voices were troubled by the inherent contradiction between image worship and Jain orthodox teachings: the Jina is a liberated soul, freed of its material body and resides in the celestial abode, represented as the heavenly assembly hall (samavasarana). As such the Jina is no longer of this world and is incapable of being represented. It could be argued that the truest representation of a Jina is the representation as a silhouette out-out, a positive void.
It is a magical diagram yantra of a perfected being or siddha.
Despite this professed "emptiness" of images of the Jina, they nonetheless are designed following strict iconographic (i.e. symbolic) and econometric systems. The latter system prescribes the measurements and proportions of images. It is the strict observance of these conventions, laid down in shastras (technical manuals) which account for the remarkable degree of uniformity in Jain images. It is prescribed in Hindu silpa
shastras that an image (painted or sculptured, citra or murti) must have an inner life force, prana. Although not required theologically, Jain images often display this quality of inner breath or life. The strict rules of measurement and proportion are clearly illustrated by the 12th C. seated Santinatha from the V&A (Fig. 1). This remarkable large-scale, solid-cast image depicts the 16th Jina enthroned on a jeweled cushion and surrounded by celestial attendants. He sits in a yogic meditation posture, with his hands gently resting, one on the other.
Econometric drawings used by artists in the preparation of Jina images reveal the standardization of the meditating Jina. Identification of a particular Jina is only made through the cognizant mark usually depicted on the base of the image. The standardization of Jina images is such that most Jinas cannot otherwise be distinguished.
Although all Jinas are of equal standing in Jainism, it is clear from the ratio of extant images of different Jinas that some attracted greater devotion than others. Santinatha is an obvious example, much venerated both by monks (as the preserver of Jainism at a time when it was in danger of extinction) and by the laity who turn to him as the Jina most associated with averting calamities and ensuring calm in the world - as his name suggests: shanti = "peace", natha = "lord". Only two Jinas are physically distinguishable from the other 22 without the aid of their cognizant marks, namely Rishabhanatha, the first Jina, recognizable by his uncut hair, and Parsvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankaras, always represented with a cobra canopy.
Jainism has a second theological difficulty with image worship. The Jinas were intended to serve as reminders to the faithful of the possibility of liberation; i.e., they served as role models for both the Jain laity, guiding their ethical code of living, and for the aspirant Jina, providing inspiration and a reminder that spiritual liberation is an attainable goal. As a detached soul, removed from this world, the Jina is incapable of responding to a devotee's prayers or requests. This inability to be interventionist, to respond to the prayers and offerings from the faithful, sets Jina images apart from both all Hindu and most Buddhist deities, who can be called upon to ritually correct approaches by a devotee.

Yakshas and yakshis
For any religion to fulfill the emotional needs of its followers as a popular religion, an element of divine intercession seems a necessary ingredient. Jainism got around this difficulty by granting various subordinate deities, nature-spirits especially (e.g.. Yakshas and yakshis), the power to grant boons and favors to the faithful. Yakshas and yakshis are typically depicted in composite images as subordinate figures, smaller in scale, attending the Jina. Their rise to the status of semi-autonomous deities, represented as independent images, was probably linked to this role as spiritual benefactors.
The interventionist role of subsidiary deities in Jainism is well illustrated by the goddess Ambika, the yakshi of the Jina Neminatha (Fig. 3). An evocation to Ambika makes clear the protective role of the goddess:
"May Ambika, of golden complexion
riding on a lion and accompanied by her sons..
protect the Jaina sangha from obstacles"

These benevolent deities had assumed an important position in the Jain cosmology, fulfilling a strong social need which was beyond the gift of the Jinas. In this their role differed fundamentally from that of the Jina images.

It is clear that the minority religions such as Jainism and Buddhism were unable to ignore the deep-rooted popularity of certain folk deities. This pattern of borrowing of deities from one religion to another, followed by their gradual assimilation, is very characteristic of the early centuries AD. Either through a conscious obliteration or simply loss from folk memory, the common ancestry of many rival deities was in time no longer acknowledged. Other borrowings from the Brahmanical pantheon illustrate the Pan- Indian nature of early religious imagery in India, with deities being appropriated from rival faiths. The very popular Saraswati, Goddess of Knowledge and Learning, a much beloved goddess worshipped by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains alike.