Key Jainist Teachings, Beliefs, and Practices

What follows is an attempt to present central teachings, beliefs, and practices of a major world religion. Few outside a religion are likely to express its essence adequately and therefore completely to do it justice.

Jainism is one of four dharmic religions. This means it originated in the Indian subcontinent, which includes Bangladesh Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The three other principal dharmic religions are Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Jainism is closely related to Hinduism and some Jains also regard themselves as Hindus.

Dharmic religions are characterized by a belief in samsara (cycles of death and rebirth), affected by karma, a universal cause-and effect law that is usually presumed to reflect individual conduct. The ultimate goal of life is moksha (liberation), and in all four religions liberation (release) is associated with enlightenment. Dharma is taken to be the fundamental principle of the universe and therefore of individual existence. It is associated with righteous living. Most adherents of dharmic religions do not believe in heaven, hell, or judgment, and they usually attribute suffering to desire. Peace, they suggest, can be achieved through detachment.

Jainism, also known as Jain Dharma, began in western India around the same time as Buddhism. There are between four and five million Jains worldwide, most of whom live in India. But Jain communities also exist in Canada, Japan, Nigeria, United States, and Europe. Jains have a strong disposition toward asceticism and fasting. They not only fast but are also encouraged not to desire food, since the spiritual takes precedence over the physical.

There are two main subdivisions of Jainism, Digambara and Śvētāmbara, which differ on gender, what they regard as sacred scripture, and ascetic practices. Digambara is the more austere of the two, as reflected by its monks wearing no clothing, and it is also more androcentric (male-oriented)..

Jains are generally committed to intellectual openness and they stress the complex multifaceted nature of truth and reality. They take it be an error to regard a relative truth as an absolute. While the Buddhist teaches the Middle Way, rejecting the extremes of “is” and “is not,” the Jain accepts both “is” and “is not.”

Jainism is peace-promoting and its adherents believe in the spiritual equality of humans, plants, and animals. Although some Jains acknowledge that violence is sometimes necessary for self-defense, Jainism’s core tenet is avoidance of violence toward people and animals. Their steadfast disavowal of violence toward all leads Jains to be vegetarians (no meat, poultry, fish and other seafood) and many to be vegans (no meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs or dairy).

The universe is believed always to have existed. Few believe in a creator god or even that gods exist, though they believe pure souls do and subscribe to the immortality of the individual soul. Although like Hindus and Buddhists, Jains believe in the cycle of death and rebirth, but since they do not believe gods exists, they cannot believe they can help us along. Salvation is the responsibility of the individual. Jainism emphasizes the role of right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct. To enable Jains to live out these principles, they take five vows: non-violence, non-possessiveness of material things, truthfulness, sexual restraint, and refusal to steal.

Non-attachment to both objects and people is central to life as a Jain. Jains attempt to avoid attachments to possessions and eschew sex for pleasure. Jain monks and nuns own no property, avoid the entanglements that come with relationships, disavow strong emotion, and commit themselves to celibacy. Laypeople have duties to own only what they need, to give anything above that to others (charity), and to remain faithful to spouses.

The literacy rate among Jains is well over ninety percent, above the national average for India of around sixty-five percent. Jains are generally well-educated and be particularly good with numbers. For historical reasons having to do with their refusal to engage in violence, Jains have gravitated toward business and entrepreneurship. They do not so much take job as create them.

Jains usually live below their means. If a Jain makes one hundred rupees, it has been said, he or she will wisely spend one and invest the other nine-nine. As a people, they do not chase after luxuries such as expensive cars, and they do not spend money on alcohol, the use of which is forbidden. This has the added benefit of helping them make clear-minded as opposed to impulsive decisions and remain industrious.

Their friendly disposition helps Jains avoid conflicts and the expensive lawsuits that sometimes accompany them. This disposition helps them maintain good relationships with customers, and like some other religious groups, their community orientation encourages them to do business with each other. This keeps wealth within Jain circles. Jains work diligently so they can pass their wealth along to future generations.

Jains are disciplined, which contributes to their material success, and they are not inclined to waste valuable resources, whether a morsel of food or a kilowatt of electricity. Longevity, associated with a vegetarian diet and abstinence from intoxicants, helps Jains remain healthy and productive throughout life.

Jains, like Sikhs, are among the wealthiest groups in India. Around seventy percent are in the top twenty percent of affluence, and they consequently pay a disproportionate amount of tax. Their material success reflects conscientiousness, diligence, and a quest for excellence and perfection.

Differences from Christianity

Jains as a group have many commendable traits, such as literacy, openness, benevolence, self-discipline, conscientiousness, prudence, healthy eating, reluctance to become attached to material objects, respect for life, and avoidance of unnecessary violence. Among the differences between Jainism and Christianity, however, are the Jainist belief that the universe has always existed rather than having been created by an intentional God. Jains do not believe in the existence of such a God, or in fact any gods. Although Christians have often been poor stewards of the planet and its resources, they believe human beings are above plants and animals. And, like members of other dharmic religions, a belief in reincarnation separates them from Christians, who believe we have only one life on earth and what we do it is of signal importance for what happens after death.