Jainism states that the universe is without a beginning or an end, and is everlasting and eternal. Six fundamental entities (known as Dravya) constitute the universe. Although all six entities are eternal, they continuously undergo countless changes (known as Paryäy). In these transformations nothing is lost or destroyed. Lord Mahavir explained these phenomena in his three Pronouncements known as Tripadi and proclaimed that Existence or Reality (also known as Sat) is a combination of appearance (Utpäda), disappearance (Vyaya), and persistence (Dhrauvya). The Jain philosophy believes that the universe and all its entities such as soul and matter are eternal, no one has created them and no one can destroy them. Jains do not acknowledge an intelligent first cause as the creator of the universe. Jains do not believe that there is a supernatural power who does favor to us if we please him. Jains rely a great deal on self-efforts and self-initiative, for both - their worldly requirements and their salvation. Jainism appeals to common sense. Jains accept only those things that can be explained and reasoned. Jains believe that each living being is a master of his/her own destiny. Jainism is a religion of purely human origin. It is propagated by self-realized individuals who have attained perfect knowledge, omniscience, and self-control by personal effort and have been liberated from the bonds of worldly existence, and the cycles of all future life and death. In ancient times Jainism was known by many names such as the Saman tradition, the religion of Nirgantha, or the religion of Jin. Jin is one, who has conquered the inner enemies of worldly passions such as desire, hatred, anger, ego, deceit and greed by personal effort. By definition, a Jin is a human being, like one of us and not a supernatural immortal nor an incarnation of an almighty God. Jins are popularly viewed as Gods in Jainism. There are an infinite number of Jins existed in the past. All human beings have the potential to become a Jin. The Jins are not Gods in the sense of being the creators of the universe, but rather as those who have accomplished the ultimate goal of liberation of sufferings through the true understanding of self and other realities. The concept of God as a creator, protector, and destroyer of the universe does not exist in Jainism. The concept of God's descent into a human form to destroy evil is also not applicable in Jainism. The Jins that have established the religious order and revived the Jain philosophy at various times in the history of mankind are known as Tirthankars. The ascetic sage, Rishabhadev was the first Tirthankar and Mahavir was the last Tirthankar of the spiritual lineage of the twenty-four Tirthankars in the current era. In summary, Jainism does not believe in a creator God, however this does not mean that Jainism is an atheistic religion. Jains believe in an infinite number of Jins (Gods) who are self-realized omniscient individuals who have attained liberation from birth, death, and suffering. Jains believe that from eternity, the soul is bounded by karma and is ignorant of its true nature. It is due to karma soul migrates from one life cycle to another and continues to attract new karma, and the ignorant soul continues to bind with new karma. This way it provides a logical explanation of our sufferings on Earth. It is traced to jiva and ajiva, the two everlasting, uncreated, independent and coexisting categories. Consciousness is jiva. That which has no consciousness is ajiva. There are five substances of ajiva: Dharma - the medium of motion Adharma - the medium of rest Akasha - space Pudgala - matter Kala - time Pudgala (matter) has form and consists of individual atoms (paramanu) and conglomerates of atoms (skandha) which can be seen, heard, smelt, tasted and/or touched. According to Jains, energy, or the phenomena of sound, darkness, shade, heat, light and the like, is produced by conglomerates of atoms. The jiva (soul) has no form but, during its worldly career, it is vested with a body and becomes subject to an inflow of karmic `dust' (asravas). These are the subtle material particles that are drawn to a soul because of its worldly activities. The asrawas bind the soul to the physical world until they have brought about the karmic result when they fall away `like ripe fruit' by which time other actions have drawn more asravas to the soul. With the exception of the Arihantas (the Ever-Perfect) and the Siddhas (the Liberated), who have dispelled the passions which provide the `glue' for the asravas, all souls are in karmic bondage to the universe. They go through a continuous cycle of death and rebirth in a personal evolution that can lead at last to moksha (eternal release). In this cycle there are countless souls at different stages of their personal evolution; earth- bodies, water-bodies, fire-bodies, air-bodies, vegetable-bodies, and mobile bodies ranging from bacteria, insects, worms, birds and larger animals to human beings, infernal beings and celestial beings. The Jain evolutionary theory is based on a grading of the physical bodies containing souls according to the degree of sensory perception. All souls are equal but are bound by varying amounts of asravas (karmic particles) which is reflected in the type of body they inhabit. The lowest form of physical body has only the sense of touch. Trees and vegetation have the sense of touch and are therefore able to experience pleasure and pain, and have souls. Mahavira taught that only the one who understood the grave demerit and detriment caused by destruction of plants and trees understood the meaning and merit of reverence for nature. Even metals and stones might have life in them and should not be dealt with recklessly. Above the single-sense jivas are micro-organisms and small animals with two, three or four senses. Higher in the order are the jivas with five senses. The highest grade of animals and human beings also possess rationality and intuition (manas). As a highly evolved form of life, human beings have a great moral responsibility in their mutual dealings and in their relationship with the rest of the universe. It is this conception of life and its eternal coherence, in which human beings have an inescapable ethical responsibility that made the Jain tradition a cradle for the creed of environmental protection and harmony.



Concept of God



Jainism believes that universe and all its substances or entities are eternal. It has no beginning or end with respect to time. Universe runs own its own accord by its own cosmic laws. All the substances change or modify their forms continuously. Nothing can be destroyed or created in the universe. There is no need of some one to create or manage the affairs of the universe. Hence Jainism does not believe in God as a creator, survivor, and destroyer of the universe.


However Jainism does believe in God, not as a creator, but as a perfect being. When a person destroys all his karmas, he becomes a liberated soul. He lives in a perfect blissful state in Moksha forever. The liberated soul possesses infinite knowledge, infinite vision, infinite power, and infinite bliss. This living being is a God of Jain religion.

Every living being has a potential to become God. Hence Jains do not have one God, but Jain Gods are innumerable and their number is continuously increasing as more living beings attain liberation.

Jains believe that since the beginning of the time every living being (soul) is attached with karma and also it is in delusion (ignorant) state of its true nature. The main purpose of the religion is to remove this delusion through self-knowledge and self-effort. This knowledge will remove karma which are associated with it from the beginning of time. When all karma get removed, the soul becomes liberated soul.

There are many types of karma. However they are broadly classified into the following eight categories:
  • Mohniya karma: It generates delusion in the soul in regard to its own true nature, and makes it identify itself with other external substances.
  • Jnana varaniya karma: It covers the soul's power of perfect knowledge.
  • Darasna varaniya karma: It covers the soul's power of perfect visions.
  • Antaraya karma: It obstructs the natural quality or energy of the soul such as charity and will power. This prevents the soul from attaining liberation. It also prevents a living being from doing something good and enjoyable.
  • Vedniya karma: It obscures the blissful nature of the soul, and thereby produces pleasure and pain.
  • Nama karma: It obscures the non corporeal existence of the soul, and produces the body with its limitations, qualities, faculties, etc.
  • Gotra karma: It obscures the soul's characteristics of equanimity, and determines the family, social standing, and personality.
  • Ayu karma: It determines the span of life in one birth, thus obscuring soul's nature of eternal existence.
While traveling on the path of spiritual progress, a person destroys all eight types of his karmas in the following sequence:

First Mohaniya (delusion), then Jnana varaniya (knowledge), Darasna varaniya (vision), and Antaraya (natural qualities) all three together. At this time, he attains Keval gnan and he is known as Arihant, which is also known as Tirthankara, Jina, Arhat, Kevali, or Nirgantha. Lastly the remaining four karmas namely Vedniya (pleasure and pain of the body), Nama (body), Gotra (social standing), and Ayu (life span) are destroyed. At this time, he attains total liberation and he is known as Siddha.

The first four karmas are called Ghati karmas because they obscure the natural qualities of the soul. The last four karmas are known as Aghati karmas because they do not affect the qualities of the soul, but they are associated to the physical body of the soul. Once a person destroys all his Ghati karmas, he will definitely destroy all of his Aghati karmas before his death. No fall back can occur after the destruction of Ghati karmas.


Arihant:

When a person destroys his four Ghati karmas, he attains keval jnana. He has regained the original attributes of his soul, which are perfect knowledge, vision, power, and bliss. He is omniscient of the past, present and future forms of all entities (living and nonliving beings) of the universe. He is still a human being. He remains in the state of blissful condition for the rest of his life. Arihants are classified into two categories:

Tirthankar:

Immediately after attaining keval jnana, if a person establishes the four fold religious order of monks, nuns, sravaks (male householder), and sravikas (female householder) is known as Tirthankar. He preaches the Jain philosophy, religion, ethics, conducts to his followers.

Jainism believe that twenty-four Tirthankars are born during each descending and ascending part of the time cycle in this region (known as Bharat Kshetra) of the universe. No two Tirthankaras exist at the same time. Generally a Tirthankara is born when the religion is at its depression state. The new Tirthankar revives the same Jain philosophy. He gives a different form to the religion practice, which depends upon the time, place, and the social behavior of the human society of that time.

Example: Lord Mahavir preached five great vows for ascetics, while Lord Parshva preached four great vows. The vow of celibacy was included in the non-possession category by Lord Parshav.

Simple kevali:

The only difference between Tirthankara and simple kevali is that the latter does not establish the religious order. He remains in the state of perfect blissful condition for the rest of his life after attaining keval gnan.

In the religious scriptures, the name Arihantas and Tirthankaras are interchangeably used because simple kevalis do not play any active roles in the religious order. Tirthankar is also known as Jina, Arihant, Arhat, Arhant, or Nirgrantha.
  • Tirthankara: Founder of four-fold order of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
  • Jina: One who has conquered his, inner passions such as desire and hatred.
  • Arihant: One who has destroyed his inner enemies such as greed, anger, desire, and hatred.
  • Arhat: One to whom nothing can be secret.
  • Arhant: A spiritual acquirement leading a man to the state of an Arihant.
  • Nirgrantha: A religion of One who has gotten rid of all knots or attachments.

Both Tirthankars and Simple kevalis (all Arihants) become Siddha after nirvan (death). All Siddhas are equal in qualities.


Siddha:

Both the Tirthankaras and simple kevalis (all Arihants) destroy the remaining four Aghati karmas at the end of their present life. After their nirvan (death) all of them are known as Siddhas. They are totally free and liberated. They are free from the birth and death cycle. They do not possess body. They do not feel pleasure and pain, or joy and sorrow. They live as a pure soul in an ever-lasting blissful condition at the top of the universe (Lokakas) known as Moksha.

The quality and attributes of all Siddhas are same. However, they still maintain their unique identity and form.

Example: Lord Mahavir's soul as a siddha possesses the same qualities as of Shri Gautam Swami or Shri Bahubali's soul. However their souls remain unique individual and have different forms.


Jain Gods:

Both Arihants and Siddhas are considered Gods of Jain religion. Arihats are perfect human beings and preach the Jain religion to the people after attaining keval_jnan. After death they become Siddhas. All Siddhas are perfected souls, living forever in a blissful state in Moksha.

Question: In the Namokar Mantra we pray to the Arihants (Tirthankara) first and the Siddhas second. Even though the Siddhas are perfected souls, have destroyed all (both Ghati and Aghati) Karmas, and are at the highest spiritual stage. While the Arihantas have destroyed only four Ghati Karmas and are at a lower (thirteen gunasthan) spiritual stage.

Answer: Arihants (Tirthnkaras) after attaining keval jnana (after destroying four ghati karmas), establish the four fold order of Jain religion. They preach the Jain philosophy, ethics and conduct. They explain the path of liberation and the qualities of the perfected soul or Siddhas. Without the teachings of Arihantas we would not have known Siddhas or liberation. For this reason we pray Arihantas first and Siddhas second.

The Four Fold Order:
  • Monks and Nuns (ascetics): They practice self control and have given up all desires and earthly possessions become the spiritual practicer and teachers. They follow strictly five great vows (maha vrats).
  • Sravaks and Sravikas (lay people): They are not required to renounce the world, but are expected to discharge household duties by honest means and live a progressive pure life. They follow the twelve vows of lay people.
source: jaina