9/21/25 - Hindus and Jains

The Target

No One Is India

In E.M Forster’s novel A Passage to India

there is a specific line that is heard

the line, “No One Is India”

The line comes from one of the main themes of the book

because the book is written at the time to expose the problems

of British colonialism.

The British treated all Indians the same

all they saw was a different group of people

all the same color

In reality, and having experieenced it first hand

every Indian is different from each other

much like every American is different from each other

No One is America could be said the same way

3 Facts about South Asia

South Asia has the greatest concentration of lostness on the planet

This region is the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism

South Asia is home to approximately 1/3 of the world’s Muslims

even more than the Middle East

Lostness in South Asia

The religions of India also exemplify this line

This slide from last week

reminds us of the 5 major religions in India

Hinduism

Islam

Buddhism

Sikhism

Jainism

Hinduism

Origin and History of Hinduism Video

Hinduism Definition

Hinduism is a many-sided South Asian religion that aims for salvation from reincarnation and/or worldly prosperity.

Through dharma

with it’s prescribed societal duties, ritual observances, mystical contemplation, and ascetic practices.

Picture of roadside altar

Picture of worshippers in Indore

Picture of worshipers in Morrisville

Worship oif various deities

often assumed to be the manifestation of a single unknowable God (Bhrahma)

Deities believed to hold power over and within the physical world

Picture of Ganesh at Mandir

Picture of worshippers at Ganesh Mandir and scales at Ganesh Mandir

Idols in Morrisville entrance

Hinduism Motivation

Fear

Benefit

Hinduism Challenges

Defies simple definition

not rooted in a singular textual authority

but operates as a conglomeration of historical practices and religious ideas

Jainism

Jain Video

Who are the Jains?

Jains are considered one of the oldest religions of the world.

Jainism originated in India about 500 BC at almost the same time and place as Buddhism.

The founder of Jainism (Mahavir) is reported to have interacted with the founder of Buddhism.

There is some evidence that Jainism is even older (9th century BC) than this.

Jains have their own unique sacred scriptures in the Prakrit language

and according to Jain mythology

their religion is traced to the beginning of time.

Jains have contributed much to the arts and sciences of India.

Today the adherents of Jainism are about 3.5 million.

Jains come from the word Jina, or one victorious over self, and worldly passions

A Jain is a conqueror of inner enemies.

These inner enemies are anger, greed, pride and deceit.

They believe these arise out of attachment

and they practice non-attachment.

Fundamental to Jainism is the concept of Ahimsa. Non-violence.

This strong emphasis in non-violence

has led Jains to be one of the strictest vegetarian communities anywhere.

They don’t even like to eat root vegetables

As this destroys the essence and life of the plant.

TWO DIVISIONS OF JAINS

There are two major divisions among the Jains

the Digambara (sky clad) and Swetambara (white clad)

These sects differ on the idea of whether the monks should where white robes or wander naked.

The founder Mahavir was an ascetic who did not wear clothes

and pulled out his hair in renunciation of worldly pleasures.

Jain Gods

Jains view of God has led many to label them as athieistic

They do not see God as being active as creator

and believe a human can become God.

Jainism is a religion of self-help: with out any outside agency

even god coming to the rescue of the soul.

For Jains the soul is its own destroyer or liberator.

As the soul tends to have attachments to this world.

Jains hold that every living being has the potential to become God

They believe in reincarnation and seek moksha (salvation)

or release from the cycle of rebirths.

Jains conceive Karma as an actual physical substance that weighs down the soul.

They rid themselves of Karma through

renunciation and practicing the mantra,

right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.

Jains are a very wealthy community

and many Jains keep an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi the goddess of wealth.

This keeping of Lakshmi idols is widely practiced despite it being outside of orthodox Jain beliefs.

Jains remain very isolated from other communities

They are one of the wealthiest and most influential communities of India

and are often involved in the business and financial sectors.

The most wealthiest Jains are in the

Diamond, pharmaceutical, and real estate industries

Jains avoid professions such as farming

farming contradicts ahisma (non violence) because so many insects are killed plowing the fields

Centers of Jainism Today

Map of Jains in India

Where do you find the Jains?

Jainism was founded in India in the current state of Bihar

but through persecution by Hindus

the Jains migrated to many areas of India

Primarily in West and South West India

The majority of the Jains (93%)

live in an area starting from Delhi including Mumbai (Bombay) and all of Western India South to Bangalore

One of the ways you know that you are talking to a Jain is by their name

if they have the last name Mahavir or Jain, theyt are Jains

There are many other names that are common among the Jains such as Chopra or Metha

but these are also Hindu names as well

There are many business districts surrounding the Jain temples

they will often engage in financial sectors, pawn shops, and banking

Names such as Jain Jewelers, Mahavir Pawn Shop or Jain Hardwoods

all shops owned by the Jains

Often times there are Jains that work in these shops to serve customers

JMB Sweets

Another way to identify the Jains is by the symbol or the flag

Jain Temple w Flag

Jain Temple with Flag #2

Jain Flag outside of a home

Jain Symbol

they’ll display this symbol on their gate or in the front of their shop

The swastika with a series of dots over the swastika and upright hand inside of a wheel

The four symbols indicate the four states of existence

The small semi circle at the top represents the Heavenly Beings

the zone beyond the three realms

all of the liberated bodiless creatures reside here forever

liberated from the endless cycle of life and death, karma

The three dots represent right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct

This is the mantra of the Jains mentioned earlier

This is how you can become free from the cycle of life and death

• The svastika is the present

Before Hitler took over the symbol for his Third Reich

And made it the symbol for the Aryan race

The svastika was called the running cross or hooked cross

It was a symbol of peace, good fortune, and well-being

For Jains, This also represents the endless cycle of karma

And represents the four types of births an embodied soul

Might experience before being liberated from the cycle of birth and death

The hand in the lower portion shows fearlessness

This symbolizes the feeling of ahimsa, non violence

Ahimsa is non violence, non injury and the absence of the desire to harm other life

The circle in the middle of the hand represents the 24 tirthankaras

these are the 24 main teachings of Jainism

and these are how a Jain can liberate themselves from the cycle of reincarnation

It represents the perpetual nature of the universe in the material world

where a creature is destined to one of those states based on their karma.

In contrast to this circle of rebirth and delusion is the concept of a straight path,

constituted by right faith, right understanding, and right conduct,

and visually symbolized by the three dots above the running cross swastika,

which leads the individual out of the transient imperfect world

to a permanent perfect state of enlightenment and perfection.

This perfect state of liberation is symbolized by the crescent and dot at the top of the svastika.