Jainism : Jiva, Nirvana, Vratas and Scriptures

Jainism originated in India millions of years ago and is still practiced mainly in India. However, there are followers of Jainism in other countries all across the globe – Asia, Europe, America, Australia and so many. Basically, the Jains are peace loving people. For them, Jainism is not a religion but a way of life. They follow strict religious principles to lead their life which is prompted by their beliefs in Jainism. These religious facets of Jainism are Jiva or soul, Nirvana or spiritual enlightenment, Vratas or righteous behaviour and these are advocated in sacred Jain Scriptures. 

The Concept of Jiva in Jainism

In Jainism, Jiva denotes the soul. The philosophy of Jainism asserts that:

• In every living being, there is a soul
• The creations of the Universe are categorized into two – Jiva or living being and Ajiva or non-living being
• The Jiva or the soul can be in two different forms – pure and impure
• The soul of God is in a pure state and the soul of a human is in an impure state
• A human soul is impure because it is tied to his wrong deeds or karma
• Even a layman can purify and transform his soul into a pure form if he sincerely follows the five-fold path of Jainism
• With practice, he takes charge of his own senses and will be liberated from pain, suffering and his karma or actions. Thus, he can reach the state of nirvana

The concept of Nirvana in Jainism

In Jainism, Nirvana denotes the state of enlightenment. The philosophy of Jainism asserts that:

• An ordinary human soul is in imperfect form. However, it can be perfected with personal efforts 
• All the pain and suffering of human life is the result of his past actions or karma
• One must try to get rid of one’s own Karma in all its forms – good, bad or evil
• This is possible by living an ascetic life or the life of a sannyasi and giving up all physical or worldly possessions
• One should not keep any attachment with materials, people or places
• When it is done successfully, one can gain the sacred knowledge called Kevala Jnana
• Thus, one can identify his soul and reach the stage of great peace, joy and happiness which is termed as Nirvana

The Concept of Vrata in Jainism

According to Jainism, the ultimate purpose of a human soul is to achieve Nirvana or freedom for which one does not require any conventional rituals or vrata like fasting. This can be achieved by following three principles called Tri-Ratna. They are:

• Samyak Jnana (Right Knowledge): A comprehensive knowledge about the nature of Jiva and Ajiva

• Samyak Darshan (Right Faith): Complete faith in the wisdom of the Tirthankara and the seven stages of the journey to Moksha as preached by him

• Samyaka Charitra (Right Conduct): Obeying all the components of righteous behavior also known as Vratas. These are Maha-Vrata, Anu-Vrata, Guna-Vrata, Shiksha-Vrata, Samiti, and Gupti. Samiti refers to taking care to avoid violating values or Vratas, while Gupti refers to imposing limitations on ourselves in order to protect (Gopan) our soul. The Samiti and Gupti are meant for Jain monks and nuns only

The Concept of Varna System in Jainism

Lord Mahavir did not condemn the Varna system but sought to reduce the evils of the Varna Order of the formal Vedic religion.

• • According to Lord Mahavir, a person is born in the upper or lower Varna due to the sins or virtues of the previous birth

  • Jainism considers all souls as equal. Lord Mahavir believed that people from lower castes can experience liberation by living a pious life. In other words, Jainism has high regards in the doctrine of transmigration of the soul and karma

• This can be obtained from the three jewels of Jainism or Tri-Ratna which have been mentioned above.

Jain Scriptures

By Jain scriptures, we refer to the sacred texts that document the tenets and principles of Jainism. 

• The oldest available Jain scripture is called Agamas or Sutras. The teachings of all 24 Tirthankaras can be given in this book 
• This vast literary work was completed by the chief disciples of Lord Mahavir
• First, it was written in Ardhamagadhi, which was a simple form of Prakrit language. Later on, it was also written in Sanskrit
• Now, it is available in many other Indian languages like Hindi, Gujrati, Marathi, Tamil, Malaylam and many more. Recently, it was translated into English as well
• Some other well-known Jain scriptures are – Kalpa Sūtra, Purvas, Shantinatha Charitra, Ādi purāṇa, Dravyasamgraha

Jain Councils

There is sufficient evidence available in the sacred Jain texts which suggest that Jain Councils were held in various parts of India – Pataliputra, Mathura and Vallabhi. However, the exact dates when these Jain councils were actually held are not clearly mentioned. The first one was held in Pataliputra. According to some of the sacred texts, the last one was held approximately 980-990 years after the last Tirthankara Lord Mahavir achieved Nirvana. The main objective of these Jain Councils was to strengthen the Jain community and spread its message further.

Conclusion

To summarize this topic JAINISM-Jiva, Nirvana, Vratas and Scriptures, 3 key points are highlighted which you must remember about the concepts of Jainism:

• Jainism promotes a life of peace and harmony. The Jains follow their religion as a way of life
• Jiva is the souls of all living beings which is in imperfect form and is to be perfected by following the 5-fold path of Jainism
• Any human being is capable of acquiring the perfect joy and happiness by getting rid of his karma
• The sacred Jain scripture, The Agamus, has all the detailed description of how one must conduct his life in order to reach Nirvana like Lord Mahavir