Jainism is an ancient Indian religion that has approximately 6 million followers worldwide nowadays. It was founded by Vardhamana Mahavira around 600 BCE but is considered to trace back its traditions to twenty-three Tirthankaras (finders) that lived before, making Mahavira twenty-fourth and the last of them. Like Hinduism and Buddhism, Jainism maintains that the purpose of any living creature in the universe is to find a way to freedom from karma and stop the process of eternal soul rebirth – samsara. However, it differs from the religions mentioned above by seeking salvation through radical ascetic practices. Indeed, it is believed that a person’s karmic debt can be eliminated speedily if one exercises abstinence from sensual pleasures during his/her life. As a result, the person becomes liberated from the bonds of reincarnation and reaches kevala jnana – the concept similar to Buddhist nirvana.
In order to succeed in one’s spiritual pursuit and reach kevala jnana, the followers of Jainism should abide by five restraints: non-injury, not lying, not taking anything not given, non-attachment, and chastity. The concept of non-violence is the most important among others and serves as the cornerstone of the religion. It is said that one should avoid harming any life form, from the smallest bacteria and plants to hurting other people. However, only intentional violence is condemned, whereas unintentional violence should be reduced to the minimum but cannot be totally stopped. On the other hand, the practices that stop people from liberation include lack of spiritual reflection, enjoyment of worldly pleasures, spiritual lethargy, passions, and negative actions. Therefore, a person that wishes to reach kevala jnana should avoid being involved in those activities.
Overall, the theory of karma and liberation in Jainism can be summarized in the nine Nav Tattvas. The first and second concepts include concepts of “jiva” (soul) and “ajiva” (not living), representing the dualism of existence. Good (punya) and bad (pap) deeds that people make constitute the third and fourth notion of the theory. Fifth and sixth Nav Tattvas discuss the constant appearance of “karmic matter” (Asrava) and the necessity to stop its appearance – samvar (Farhadian, 2015, p. 183). Next two concepts, namely bandha and nirjara signify the cycle of rebirth due to karma and the termination of this cycle. The final Nav Tattva includes the liberation of the soul from samsara (moksha).
Reference
Farhadian, C. E. (2015). Introducing world religions: A Christian engagement. Baker Academic.