Religions {Jainism} can be similar to Yoga and Samkhya Schools of Hinduism but simpler and non-Vedic.
reality
Jainism accepts that world exists. World will end with men at their lowest and world itself bestial.
gods
Hindu gods are for help against disease, disaster, and so on. Idols provide objects for contemplation. Jainism is atheistic.
samsara
People should forget actions, humanity, virtue, and everything, and try to obtain release from the eternal round of birth and death {samsara, Jainism}. Release comes through suffering, compassion, and self-detachment. People should reject the life-force to reproduce and stay alive and instead try to escape from cycles of death and rebirth forever. People should transcend individuality and all details, be free of all action, and have complete isolation from world. To feel no pain or pleasure, no desire, and no will requires intense concentration and endurance.
behavior
Jaina householders should not destroy life. They should not tell lie. They should not use another's property without permission. They should limit possessions. They should vow daily to go only in certain directions and distances. They should not talk or act uselessly. They should not think of sinful things. They should limit diet and pleasures each day. They should be chaste.
They should worship at proper times. They should fast on proper days. They should exercise charity every day by giving money and doing other things.
self
Self permeates the human body. Body hides Self. Soul is not Self. True Self has no personality. Self is just like all other Selves. Self can perceive truth directly.
In one way, selves are permanent. In one way, selves are not permanent. In one way, selves are permanent and then not. In one way, selves are not describable. In one way, selves are permanent but not describable. In one way, selves are not permanent but not describable. In one way, selves are permanent and then not but not describable.
sense
The five senses are brain, life span, bodily strength, speech, and breathing and make up human lives.
soul
People belong to one of six soul types, which depend on karma. Soul can be white or yellow, red or gray, and blue or black. White is highest and purest and least affected by bad karma. Killing is the blackest act.
People accumulate karma depending on their actions, which have goodness, badness, and nature. Acting uses up karma but also brings in more karma. Karma accumulation gives soul color. Goal is to become lighter and lighter in each life. Soul color determines whether people rise or fall in strata of the Universal body. Finally, people hope to be free of all color, and then Self will be clear and omniscient.
suffering
World is full of suffering.
unity
Universe is one human organism and is alive and eternal, as are people's inner Selves. All Selves are an infinite collection (Jiva).
saint
Jainist saints {tirthankara} {Makers of the River Crossing} achieved enlightenment after many reincarnations, through graded ascetic exercises. Saint stories are similar to story of the Buddha and depend on yaksas and nagas.
The saints have gone to the ceiling of the universe and dwell there in perfect peace, omniscient, timeless, without action, and without contact with rest of universe. Jainist saints are mild, ascetic, intellectual, and strong.
In statues, they have standing attitude {dismissing the body}, or they sit yoga-like. Saints have symbols. Jainists should contemplate Jainist saints as inspiration.
clothing
Jaina monks wear white robes or go naked.
Space {ajiva} includes movement {dharma, Jainism}, rest or position {adharma}, time {kala, Jainism}, and atomic matter {pudgala}. Pudgala has six degrees of density.
Truth has many sides, so people should have tolerance and mutual respect {anekantavada}.
The five events {Five Kalyamas} {Kalyamas} are the following. Soul enters embryo. Birth happens. Renunciation takes place. All destructive karma is gone. Liberation happens.
A matter form {karma, Jainism} has eight kinds: to block knowledge or perception, to create feelings, to cause delusions, to determine life length, to make personality or individuality, to make one's family, and to produce obstacles. Karma reduces the powers of Self or adds delimiting things to Self. Karma can enter soul through 42 channels. Souls go through rebirths until liberated from karma.
A mountain {Mount Sammada} sacred to Jainism is a place of enlightenment.
The five Vows {vratas} are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Aparigraha, and Brahmacharya.
People can take a vow {ahimsa, Jainism} not to kill. All things are alive, and all life has unity, even vegetables.
People can take a vow {aparigraha} to limit possessions and be unattached.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225