up:: Religion
Jainism
The concept of Karma in Jainism is different from religions such as Hindu Philosophy and Buddhism
Its dualistic religion, there Jiva(soul/spirit) and Ajiva(Matter)
They believe universe is eternal, it has always existed and will continue to exist in 100 billion year successions.
The goal of the ascetics is to get rid of all “karmic material” accumulated and become “Jina” (kinda like attaining Moksha?)
All souls are individual souls.
Two sects
svetambara(white clothes, follows the scriptures Agamas) and digambara(naked, don’t follow Agamas)
Mahavratas
“The Five Great Vows”
- Strict non-violence in thoughts, words and deeds.
- Absolute truthfulness(no lying)
- Non-stealing
- Absolute celibacy
- Non-possession
3 Main Principles
- Ahimsa (Non-violence)
Using violence accumulates most amount of “karmic material”. Even killing an ant is considered an act of violence intentional or not.
- Aparigraha (Non-attachment)
Can’t own any things
- Anekantavada
Many-sidedness or literally Non-one-sided ― they reject absolutist claims about things and say that everything has many different perspectives and only enlightened beings(Jina) like Mahavira(last among the 24 Tirthankaras so far) can really get the picture. There is absolute truths but only the enlightened Jinas can see and it incorporates all the various perspectives.
The allegory used:
Elephant standing in a pitch dark room and three men who are trying to explain the elephant simply by touching and they all try to describe it from their perspectives.
The “Five Small Vows”
For the long path to liberation
- Nonviolence (ahimsa) - not deliberately hurting any creature
- Truthfulness (satya) - tell the truth and be honest
- Non-stealing (asteya)
- Sexual chastity (brahmacarya)
- Non-attachment (aparigraha)
Some jains use “murtis” of enlightened Jinas for devotion.