Jainism. religion.

Jainism.

Jains form less than one percent of the Indian population.
For centuries, Jains are famous as community of trade and merchants.
Gujarat and Rajasthan have the highest concentration of Jain population in India.
Jain religion is traced to Vardhamana Mahavira (The Great Hero 599-527 B.C.). Mahavira was the twenty-fourth and last of the Jain Tirthankars. Mahavira was born in a ruling family of Vaishali, located in the modern state of Bihar.

At the age of thirty, Mahavira renounced royal life and devoted himself to the task of discovering the meaning of existence.
At the age of 42 he attained enlightenment and spent the rest of his life meditating and preaching Jainism.
Jain pilgrimage destnations are Palitana, Girnar, Ranakpur, Dilwara, Sravan belagola,
Udaygiri caves and Khandagin caves.

Jainism rests on a real understanding of the working of karma, its effects on the living soul and the conditions for extinguishing action and the soul's release. Jainism considers the soul as a living substance that combines with various kinds of non-living matters. The Jain religion rests on complete inactivity and absolute nonviolence (ahimsa) against all living beings. It is evident from the Jain monks and nuns wearing to avoid inhaling small organisms. It is for the same reason all practicing Jains try to remain vegetarians.


Jain religion during Mahavir’s life got its roots firmly embedded through out the country.
It had 14,000 monks and 36,000 nuns at the time of Mahavira's death.

Svetambaras, the "White-robed" and the Digambaras are the two streams of Jainism.
The major points of difference between the two concern the question of proper monastic attire and whether or not a soul can attain liberation from a female body.

Jain monks must fight against the passions and bodily senses in order to gain omniscience and the complete purity of soul that represents the highest religious goal in the Jain system.


Its influence on India's culture has been considerable, including significant contributions in philosophy and logic, art and architecture, grammar, mathematics, astronomy and astrology, and literature.

Jainism has largely been confined to India, although the migration of Indians to other, predominantly English-speaking countries has spread its practice to many Commonwealth nations and to the United States. Its continuous existence in India for some 2,500 years is in sharp contrast to Buddhism, which is widespread in Asia.

The abhiseka, or head-anointing ritual, has had great significance especially in royal contexts. The best-known example of this ritual is the one performed every 12 to 14 years on the statue of Bahubali at the Jain pilgrimage site at Shravana Belgola. The structure of this ritual is similar in each religious context; in each case, however, it has specific meaning peculiar to that context.


In the literary sphere, each tradition developed an extensive corpus of canonical and commentarial literature, and each has developed a body of narrative literature. For example, so great was the influence of the story of Rama in the classical Hindu Ramayana, that the Buddhists and Jain felt obliged to retell the story in their own terms.

Jain literature includes 16 different telling of this story in Sanskrit and Prakrit.
Finally, each tradition shares a similar understanding of the ascetic life, though each understands it as functioning properly only within the context of its own religious system.

Many of the terms applied to figures in each monastic organization are the same and several of the monastic ritual and meditative activities are similar in structure.

According to Jain teaching, there were 23 Tirthankaras, before Mahavira Vardhamana. Today they are venerated as saints in temples containing their images.
Veneration of the Holy Tirthankaras is viewed in terms of purifying the devotee.

Jains incorporate a number of rituals into their daily life. Spreading the grain for the birds in the morning, and filtering or boiling the water for the next few hours' use are ritual acts of charity and non-violence.
Some people dismiss the ritual acts as superstition others recognize that while the Jain idols have no miraculous powers, daily rituals help the worshipper towards a reverent state of mind.

Samayika
Pratikramana

Worship before the Jain idols, bowing to the idols, and lighting a lamp in front of the idols is an ideal way to start the day for many Jains. More elaborate forms of puja, as described, is a regular daily ritual usually done in the temple. The worshipper enters the temple with the words 'Namo Jinanam' 'I bow to the Jina', and repeats three times, 'Nisihii' (to relinquish thoughts about worldly affairs). The simpler surroundings of the household shrine can also provide a suitable setting. The members of some sects of Jainism don’t believe in worship of the Jina image. They believe in meditation and silent prayers. Worship, or puja, can take many forms.
1. The Snana Puja
2. Antaraya Karma Puja.
3. Arihanta Puja.
4. Siddhachakra puja.

Festivals.
The Paryusana Parva is the most important festival for the Jains.
Mahavir Jayanti.
Diwali or Deepawali