What Are Jainism's Main Beliefs?
Jainism is one of the oldest religions of India, predating recorded history and independent from any other system of Indian philosophy. First preached by Lord Parshva, around 950 to 850 B.C.E., Jainism teaches that the aim of life is to attain liberation of the soul. This can only be achieved by living a life of harmlessness, non-violence and renunciation.
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Three Jewels
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The Three Jewels encapsulate some of the central beliefs of Jainism. The first jewel, right faith, emphasizes not allowing your preconceptions of superstitions to get in the way of seeing something clearly. The second jewel, right knowledge, means acquiring a proper knowledge of the Jain scriptures, while the third jewel, right conduct, means living your life according to the Jain code of ethics. In essence, this code is about doing no harm to any living thing and freeing yourself from attachment and other impure thoughts and attitudes.
Soul
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For Jains, the soul is independent from the body, responsible for its actions and capable of experiencing the consequences of these actions. Known as the jiva, the aim for Jains is to liberate the soul from the cycle of reincarnation, thereby giving it infinite knowledge, infinite power and infinite bliss. This can be attained through living life according to the Three Jewels.
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Karma
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In Jain beliefs, the doctrine of karma provides a rational explanation for birth and death, good and evil, happiness and misery, and inequality. For Jains, karma is a physical substance that is everywhere in the universe. Its particles are attracted to the soul, or jiva, as a result of people's thoughts and actions. When they stick to a soul, they affect its life. To achieve liberation of the soul, people must get rid of and avoid karma by behaving well and having the right mental state.
Reincarnation
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As with other Eastern religions, like Buddhism, Jains believe in the concept of reincarnation. When a body dies, the soul, or jiva, moves to its next body instantly and the quality of its life is determined by the soul's karma. Jains also believe that the mental state of a person at the time of death is important in determining the future quality of life; a calm and contented death, for example, with the mind focused on spiritual matters, is more preferable for Jains.
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