Book of jain religion

An introduction, is a thoroughly researched overview of the jain tradition, a religion and set of philosophical constructs that have influenced indian thought for. Drawing on field research in northern gujarat and on the study of both ancient sanskrit and prakrit and m. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and secular jain buildings generally reflect the prevailing style of the place and time they were built jain temple architecture is generally close to hindu temple architecture, and in ancient times buddhist architecture. Some artifacts found in the indus valley civilization have been suggested as a link to ancient jain culture, but this is highly.

Jains see these texts, which are the transcriptions of lord mahavirs sermons, as sacred documents. The holy book of jainism is known as the kalpa sutra or sutras. Along with hinduism and buddhism, jainism is one of the three most ancient indian religious traditions still in existence and an. This book presents a detailed fieldworkbased study of the ancient indian religion of jainism. At the time of alexander the greats invasion on the borders of the magadha empire, it was the jain rulers who were in firm control at pataliputra.

The acharangasutra deals chiefly with the ethical conduct and discipline of monks. Followers of jainism are called jains, a word derived from the sanskrit word jina victor referring to the path of victory in crossing over lifes stream of rebirths by destroying karma through an ethical and spiritual life. Jains trace their history through twentyfour tirthankara and revere rishabhanatha as the first tirthankara in the present timecycle. Jain religion the true nature of a substance is a religion any activities of body, mind and speech which reduces kashay anger, greed, ego, lust, etc. Hence, the jain religion does not have one sacred book like the bible or koran, but it has many books complied by many followers. Jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta,the quran or the bible. These sutras are collectively known as agams or agam sutras, the sacred books of the jain religion. Jain religion nischaya dharma purity of soul which results from the above action dirt of karma disappears. A jain temple or derasar is the place of worship for jains, the followers of jainism.

This is a rare collection of jain scriptures on various topics. The jain observances of nonviolence, for instance, are not ultimately performed for the sake of protecting the individual uniqueness of any given lifeform for its own sake. Jaina jainism i basic of jainism jes102 level 1 book. An introduction, is a thoroughly researched overview of the jain tradition, a religion and set of philosophical constructs that have influenced indian thought for over 2500 years.

This is in a fully referenced, comprehensively indexed, questionanswer format with many examples helps to readily grasp even difficult concepts. Sep 09, 2018 rashtrakutas king amoghwarsh jain had become a sanyasi, he composed a book titled ratnamalka. Religion continued jain morality vyavahara dharma conduct in accordance with the rules prescribed by arihants and accompanied always by compassion, love, sympathy etc. In north america, there are an estimated 25,000 jain families practicing the ancient traditions of this religion. Mar 17, 2015 jainism is an indian religion that emphasizes complete nonviolence and asceticism. Jainism is an ancient religion from india that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live lives of harmlessness and renunciation. I wanted to learn not just the facts about the jain religion, but i wanted to get a feeling of what being a jain is like. The total jain population is about 6 million in the world, which is less than 1% of the indian population. Please pledge to do swadhyay for at least 510 minutes each day. An introduction to jainism, one of the oldest religions in the world. The om symbol is also used in ancient jain scriptures to represent the five lines of the navakar mantra, which is the most important part of the daily prayer in the jain religion. The book renders each verse into an easy to understand commentary and provides an excellent overview of the jain philosophy and religion. When the soul sheds its karmic bonds completely, it attains divine consciousness. The holy book of jainism is a collection of texts known as agam literature or the agam sutras.

This book is a brief introduction to the jain religion, including a close look at its inception and how it evolved over time to its present day status. Jainism differs from many religions in that there is no one scripture or holy book that is central to our faith. Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley dating back to 3000 b. These texts are collectively known as agams, the sacred books of the jain religion. This religions holy text is referred to as agam literature or sutras and is. Reading life stories of various tirthankars, ganadhars, acharyas, and shravaks will make us all proud of our rich heritage. Followers of jainism are called jains, and there are about 4 million worldwide. It is well known that the jain tradition has been extremely influential in the development of indian thought and culture. Part ii discusses the relations of jains with other groups in indian society, the politics of leadership on jain communities, and the history, character, andcomposition of the jain community in.

The jain scriptures are the source books of jain ethics, yoga, religion, philosophy and mythology. They are humans who achieve enlightenment via asceticism. At present there are 63 jain centers and about 3500 jain youth regularly attend the pathashalas. Oct 17, 2010 the holy book of jains the kalpa sutra is the holy book of the of jainism religion. History of jainism is the history of a religion founded in ancient india. The aim of jain life is to achieve liberation of the. After two hundred years of vain efforts and of spending millions of dollars with the prestige of the conqueror and backed by british bayonets, christianity is not supported by the converts themselves. Since then, this emblem is used in almost all of jain magazines, on wedding cards, on jain festival cards and in magazines with links to events related to jain society.

Jain beliefs and teachings religion vs spirituality. Jain literature comprises jain agamas and subsequent commentaries on them by various jain. The jain literature, which was compiled by ganadharas and srutkevlis, is known as agam literature. The kalpasutra describes in detail the lifestory of mahavira. He has also tried to depict differences between jainism and baudhdhism, where applicable.

Jainism is an ancient religion from india that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live a life of harmlessness and renunciation. The jain path of purification was, in addition to the previous work, one of the very first books of its kind to be authored by a jain for the education of those unfamiliar with the jain worldview and way of life. Jainworld is a nonprofit taxexempt membership and donationsupported organization dedicated to jain tradition of wisdom, compassion, equality, brotherhood, universal wellbeing and spirituality. Jainworld is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of jain tradition of wisdom, compassion, equality, brotherhood, universal wellbeing and spirituality. A glance at its contents will reveal the fact that glasenapp has covered almost all the salient features of jainism. The book shows how buddhism and jainism share the basic concepts of karma, rebirth, and liberation with hinduism while giving them their own hue, and how they differ from the hindu tradition in their understanding of the role of the vedas, the caste system, and ritualism in religious life. Jainism introduction yale forum on religion and ecology. This is my second time reading the book and i highly recomend it to anyone who has an interest in the history of religions, or the philosophies of life.

An introduction to jain philosophy includes a foreword by professor rita sherma and a prologue by professor jeffery d. These texts are the holy scriptures of the jain religion. Perspective in jaina philosophy and religion publishers note preface jaina view. Rita sherma, phd, is the founding director and an associate professor of the mira and ajay shingal center for dharma studies at the graduate theological union in berkeley, california. Jainism and buddhism are a part of shramanic religion. Shvetambara monks are allowed to retain a few possessions such as a robe, an alms bowl, a whisk broom, and a mukhavastrika a piece of cloth held over the mouth to protect against the ingestion of small insects, which are presented by a senior monk at the time of initiation. Jainism ritual practices and religious institutions. This is great book not only for spiritual reading but also for environmental understanding. Part i introduces the vivid mythology and doctrine of jainism, and the traditions of jain renouncers. Agams are the jain texts which are based on the discourse. Also, as mentioned in the book, jainism is scientific religion covering physics, math and other subjects. The holy teachers are called the jina, and they are the epitome of teaching for all jains, especially the jina mahavira.

The agam sutras show great reverence for all forms of life and strict codes of vegetarianism, asceticism, nonviolence, and opposition to war. Jains believe that jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the jain cosmology. The jain dharma existed even before the emergence of the vedas and the puranas which are said to be ancient. Jainism emerged in 6thcentury bce india, the same time buddhism was developing. We have certain scriptures which are considered as very sacred. In 1974, on the auspicious 2500th anniversary of the nirvana of the last jain tirthankara, mahavira, the jain community at large collectively chose one image as an emblem to be the main identifying symbol for jainism. Jains are very caring over the environment, they wear masks over their faces to prevent inhaling of any small insects and they carry large brushes so they can brush the floor in front of them to prevent stepping on any plants or insects. Jainism traditionally known as jain dharma, is an ancient indian religion. Click download or read online button to get m p jain indian constitutional law book now.

Jainism is an indian religion that emphasizes complete nonviolence and asceticism. Concise but accurate introduction to the key principles of jainism. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Perhaps it is fitting that a gentle and idealistic philosophy such as jainism would merit such an memorable exposition. Jainism regards every living soul as potentially divine. By birth, im jainand trying to be jain by actand i appreciate many historical perspective on jainism. It was translated with an introduction by nathmal tatia, includes a foreword by l. Religion individual person following law and order moral religious nonreligious. The present book is one of the best and stimulating books ever written by scholars on jainism. Jain publishing company is a humanities and social sciences book publisher that publishes scholarly and professional references, as well as books for the general reader, in print and electronic formats. Religion and culture of the jains by jyoti prasad jain 1983, bharatiya jnanpith will provide an orderly and clear exposition of jainism as a philosophy and way of life, jain history, and the jains as. First, as various authors in this book will point out, the telos or goal of jainism lies beyond all worldly concerns. The faith is named for the jinas, spiritual conquerors who have achieved liberation and perfection.

Jainism is a dharmic religion different from hinduism and buddhism. Antiquity of jainism professor mahavir saran jain lord mahavira is not the founder of jainism. It is read in the eight day long festival called paryushan posted by chris, emily, and kelly at. The jain tradition teaches that there is an interdependence of perception, knowledge, and conduct unified by an axiomatic principle of nonviolence in thought, speech, and action. Jainism in india after lord mahavira this religion flourished in magadha and elsewhere because of the strong rulers at pataliputra. Interesting book about an interesting religion philosophy. M p jain indian constitutional law download ebook pdf.

Instead they have a collection of holy writings and scriptures. The jain religion does not have one sacred book like the bible or koran, but it has many books complied by many followers. Followers of jainism are called jains, a word derived from the sanskrit word jina. Since gautama buddha, founder of buddhism, belonged to the same region of magadha as mahavira the 24th tirthankar of jainism, and because both were contemporaries, it was assumed erroneously that jainism was contemporary of buddhism or was an off. The majority of our books fall within the subject category of asian studies, though we do publish in other subjects from time to time. The following list of books incorporates a number of salient points of view, and they would be especially good for those not raised as jains. Google answer we does not consider 1 book there were so many granths were there some granths. Hence, the jain religion does not have one sacred book. To protect, preserve, and disseminate the ancient and contemporary jain literature, the jain education international organization in cooperation with shri mahavir ardhana kendra, koba ahmedabad. Special attention will be given to how jain ideals such as ahimsa and anekantavada the doctrine of non onesidedness can serve as a much needed and welcome panacea to the worlds strife and.

Ideal way of doing swadhyay or listening to jain scripture pravachan. My brothers and sisters of america, there is not the least shadow of hope that india can ever be christianised. Jainism jainism ritual practices and religious institutions. This is great book not only for spiritual reading but also. Rashtrakutas king amoghwarsh jain had become a sanyasi, he composed a book titled ratnamalka. Good books can change your thinking and thinking can change your life. Sep 03, 2007 jainism is an ancient religion from india that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live a life of harmlessness and renunciation. After two hundred years of vain efforts and of spending millions of dollars with the prestige of the conqueror and backed by british bayonets, christianity is not supported by. It is perhaps the most comprehensive and concise book of its kind, and few books on jainism are as. Unlike most common monotheistic religions, jainism does not have one holy book that characterizes their faith. Singhvi and an introduction to the jaina faith by padmanabh s. Jainism, indian religion teaching a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence ahimsa, literally noninjury to all living creatures. Some artifacts found in the indus valley civilization have been suggested as a link to ancient jain culture, but this is highly speculative and a subjective interpretation.

Mar 20, 2017 the book shows how buddhism and jainism share the basic concepts of karma, rebirth, and liberation with hinduism while giving them their own hue, and how they differ from the hindu tradition in their understanding of the role of the vedas, the caste system, and ritualism in religious life. The tattvarthasutra is a famous book which summarizes jain teachings. Online shopping for jainism religion from a great selection at books store. Jain books, jain literature, jain shastras in english.