Jainism For All

  Punya or Virtue, the 5 th Navatattva The fifth cardinal principal is punya or virtue. Punya is earned when our activities are good and comforting to others. When punya matures, it brings worldly happiness and pleasure. The activities involve the Jiva’s mind, speech and body. Our physical activities, speech and thoughts should be pure and beneficial to others. Our actions should not disturb others peace and happiness. Thus, the actions which lead to good karma and bring peace of mind are called punya. There are nine ways of performing actions to acquire punya. They are: i)Anna punya – offering food to the monks and people who are suffering from starvation. ii) Pana punya – offering water or other nutritional drink to the thirsty people as well as birds and animals. iii) Vastra punya – providing clothes to monks and poor needy people. iv) Layana punya – offering space or land to use as temple, hospital or dharmashala where pilgrims, old and sick people can stay. v) ...

  Asrava (Influx of Karma), the 3 rd Navatattva The third cardinal principle is Asrava . The causes which lead to the influx of good and evil karma for the bondage of the soul are called Asrava . To explain it more clearly, Asrava is an attractive force generated in the jiva towards sense objects.   Just as water flows into a boat through a hole in it, similarly, karma flows into the soul through asrava and impedes its progress. All activities of body, speech and mind cause inflow of karmic matter. These activities, if good, cause the inflow of meritorious Karmas leading to worldly happiness. If these activities are bad, they cause the inflow of demeritorious karmas leading to misery. At first sight it would appear that only bad activities should be avoided but the good activities also have to be avoided to make the soul free of karma, which is necessary to reach the ultimate goal of liberation. The cause of asrava are as follows: Mithyattva (perverted belief or ign...

 Ajiva or Pudgala (Matter), the 2 nd Navatattva The second cardinal principal is Ajiva (pudgala or matter). Ajiva possess characteristics which are contrary to those of Jiva. Ajiva is devoid of consciousness. Until jiva is free from ajiva , it is impossible for the jiva to progress towards deliverance. The union of jiva with ajiva is physical and their separation is possible although the process is difficult for execution.   The meaning of dissociation of jiva from ajiva is nothing but the separation of pudgala or matter from the conscious soul. Astikaya consists of two words : Asti and Kaya . Asti literally means existence of kaya and kaya represents pradesa or body or form.   The two characteristics asti and kaya when combined together forms astikaya . Astikaya is the fundamental entity. It is the eternal ontological building blocks that constitute a dravya or substance and explain its existence. Ajiva is divided into two main classes: Arupi (wit...

  Jiva (Self), the Conscious Soul The first cardinal principal is Jiva (Self). The essential attribute of jiva is life, vitality, soul or consciousness. Infinite knowledge, vision, power, bliss etc. are also the attributes of jiva . While the knowledge possessed by the jiva (atma , soul) may be boundless, jiva by itself, is limited. It is the jiva which suffers or enjoys the fruits of its deeds, and then, in consequence of the karma it has acquired, goes through the succession of rebirths, and finally, obtaining freedom through the destruction of its karma, attains moksha or liberation from the material world. Acharya Hemacharya describes the characteristics of jiva as follows:               ‘It performs different kinds of action, it reaps the fruit of those actions, it circles round returning again; these and none other are the characteristics of soul. Jiva has further been described as a conscious substance,...

  Girnar is a mountain located in the Junagadh district of Gujarat, India. The mountain is believed to be even older than the Himalayas. It is 3672ft tall with 9999 steps. It is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus and Jains with 866 temples spread over the summit. The Tirthankar Neminath temple attracts both Digambar and Swetambar Jain devotees. It has become an important site for Jains since the 3 rd century. One can use the ropeway to reach Ambaji temple which otherwise is 5000 steps to climb. From there, one can get down 1100 steps to reach the temple of Neminath, the 22 nd tirthankara. One can also reach the Neminath temple on foot where one has to cover 3900 steps, the scenary is very beautiful with big stones hanging all around. It is said that Neminath, also known as Arishtanemi, became an ascetic when he saw the slaughter of animals for his wedding party. He ended his life and attained salvation in Mount Girnar. There are temples of Lord Rishavdev, Mallinath and Par...

The Jain philosophy has described this universe as two different entities. They are Lok (universe) and Alok (outer world or sky). Jiva (animate object) and Ajiva (inanimate object) both together constitute Lok . It is the Lok where creation ( srishti) , equilibrium ( sthiti) and destruction ( vinash ), the three worldly activities are occurring every moment all over the universe making it dynamic. Alok – Outside this world, there is infinite vacuum which is visible in the form of sky. Only sky comes under Alok . The space here is endless. There is no living or non-living object found in this part of the universe.    Jiva cheba ajiva ya eso loye biyahiye I      Ajivadesamagase aloe se biyahiye II                      ( Uttaradhyan Sutra 36/2) The meaning of this sutra is where jiva exists, ajiva also exists. Jiva and Ajiva together constitute Lok . The space where only sky exists that is known ...