Religion
Lord Rishabha-The First Tirthankar
Lord Rishabha-The First Tirthankar
Lord Rishabha is the first among the 24 Tirthankaras mentioned in the history of Jainism. He was not only the source of Jain religion, but had designed and established the system and structure of the......More
Lord Mahavira -The Last Tirthankar
Lord Mahavira -The Last Tirthankar
Ancient indian religion had two independent traditions-the Shramanic and the Brahmanic. The Ugras, the Bhojas, the Rajanas, the Kshatriyas, the Gyatas, the Kauravas and the Dravidas were the followers of......More
Life of a Monk
Life of a Monk
In the age of 22 tirthankaras prior to Mahavira was propounded a harmonized and equanimous conduct. The monk and nun observed fourfold vows-
1. Non-violence
2. Truth
3. Non-stealing
4. Non-possession......More
The Code of Conduct of a Jain Shravaka
The Code of Conduct of a Jain Shravaka
The code of conduct of a jain ascetic is very strict, and a person may find it difficult to follow the rules and regulations. Lord Mahavira realized this fact two thousand six hundred years ago and he......More
Jain Literature and Contribution of Acharyas
Jain Literature and the Contribution of Acharyas
The Jain scriptures are popularly known as 'Agama'. Just as the 'Vedas' have an important place in Vedic tradition; the 'Tripitakas' in Buddhism; the......More
The Doctrine of the Cosmos
The Doctrine of the Cosmos
The world in which we live in is mysterious. Philosophers throughout the ages have reflected on this mystery and put forward many theories. Regarding this, Jain philosophy too has its own viewpoint. It deserves......More
Non-absolutism
Non-absolutism
Non-absolutism (anekarvada) is a unique and special contribution of Jainism to the philosophical world. Anekanta is the basic attitude of mind which expresses the fundamental principle that reality is complex and it can be......More
Non-violence
Non-violence
Meaning and Scope:
The etymological meaning of non-violence is "not to kill", but when considered more profoundly, it implies infinite love and the capacity to bear all injury bravely. Non-violence is the supreme......More
Non-possession
Non-possession
One of the significant doctrine propounded by Lord Mahavira is Non-possession. He never employed non-possession as equal distribution of wealth. In his time, people were more conscious to attain tranquility, austerity and......More
Karmavada
Karmavada - I
There is hardly any person in Indian tradition, who is not familiar with the word 'karma'. The doctrine of karma is deeply rooted and is believed by most of the Indian religions. The success and failure in one's......More
Gunasthana
Gunasthana
The soul passes through an infinite number of stages while travelling from the lowest to the highest stage of spiritual development. According to Jainism these have been classified into fourteen different stages of spiritual......More
Jiva
Jiva
There are two main streams of philosophy - Idealism and Realism. Jainism espouses a realistic approach. The Jain understanding of reality centers on the interaction between the soul and matter, which is responsible for the cycle of......More
Ajiva
Ajiva
Everything in the universe is either animate (jiva) or inanimate (ajiva). Inanimate beings are devoid of consciousness, but both of these interact with each other. The worldly jiva cannot perform any activity without the help of ajiva.......More
Punya
Punya
In this world, every action of a human plays a major role in the dynamics of their personal life. As long as the soul is related to the body it indulges in both physical and mental activities. Even when a person is not indulging in any......More
Paap
Paap
Karma is the root cause for the transmigration of souls. There are eight types of karmas in Jain philosophy. Mohaniya karma is one of them. It is known as the vikarak karma i.e. it distorts the faculties of faith and conduct. It is the......More
Ashrava
Ashrava
The jiva and matter are both different from each other. The jiva is formless, while matter has form. As long as the jiva remains in its own nature, that is infinite knowledge, infinite faith, infinite bliss and infinite power, there......More
Samvara
Samvara
Samvara means the stoppage of influx of karma. It is the first significant factor in the process of liberation of the soul from karmic matter. Samvara is the opposite and antagonistic counter-force to ashrava (which refers to the......More
Nirjara
Nirjara
The theories of Jain philosophy can be classified under two headings: those concerning the six substances and those concerning the nine categories. Though the nine categories are included in the six substances and vice versa, there......More
Bandha
Bandha
The assimilation of punya and paap, the two types of karmic matter, by the soul, results in a mutual mixture, like that of milk and water and is called bandha. It is without a beginning from the perspective of an unbroken continuity,......More
Moksh
Moksh
The last of the nine fundamentals of Jain philosophy is Moksha (liberation). This is the ultimate destination of a jiva. It is the state of perfect bliss. According to the book "Illuminator of Jain Tenets", emancipation means......More
