Differences

ahimsa and the perception of THE SOUL

The Jain Ahimsa

The Jains extend the concept of ahimsa not only to humans but to all animals, plants, micro-organisms and all beings having life or life potential. All life is sacred and everything has a right to live fearlessly to its maximum potential. They practice extreme forms of Ahimsa or non-violence. Living beings need not fear those who have taken the vow of ahimsa. Thus, The Jain conception of soul differed from that of the Buddhists. Ahimsa is formalised into Jain doctrine as the first and foremost vow. The votary must not to hurt any living being by actions, words or thoughts. According to Jainism, protection of life, also known as abhayadānam, is the supreme charity that a person can make.

Jains practice non-violent in thought, word and deed, towards humans and every living creature. Human life is deemed the highest and it is vital to never harm or upset another. Ahimsa does not merely indicate absence of physical violence, but also indicates absence of desire to indulge in any sort of violence, and strongly advocate vegetarianism and nonviolence. Jain monks walk barefoot and sweep the ground in front of them and cover their mouths to avoid killing any insect by swallowing or stepping.

A monk is required to cultivate the habit of carefulness, in respect of the following five particulars:

walking, so as not to injure any living being;
speech, so as not to cause pain to any one by offensive, disagreeable language, or by a careless use of words having a tendency to incite others to violent deeds;
eating, so as not to cause injury to any living being;
handling things — the water gourd, books and the feather whisk, with which there is a great danger of injury to small insects; and
evacuation and disposal of faeces, urine, and the like.

The entire day of a Jain monk is spent in ensuring that he observes his vow of ahimsa through mind, body and speech faultlessly. This seemingly extreme behaviour of the monks comes from a sense that every action, no matter however subtle, has a karmic effect which can bind soul and inhibit liberation, especially those that result in himsa.

Ahimsa through Diet

Jain vegetarian diet is practised by the followers of Jain culture and philosophy. It is considered one of the most rigorous forms of a spiritually motivated diet on the Indian subcontinent and beyond. The Jain cuisine is completely vegetarian, and it also excludes potatoes, onions and garlic. Food which contains even small particles of the bodies of dead animals or eggs is absolutely unacceptable.

Some Jain scholars and activists support veganism, as the production of dairy products is perceived to involve violence against cows. Strict Jains don't eat root vegetables such as potatoes, onions, roots and tubers or other root vegetables, as it involves uprooting and killing the entire plant as well as injuring of minuscule life forms, in contrast to consumption of most other terrestrial vegetables, upon which the plant lives on after plucking the vegetables (or it was seasonally supposed to wither away anyway).

Mushrooms, fungi and yeasts are forbidden because they are parasites, grow in non-hygienic environments, and may harbour other life forms. Honey is forbidden, as its collection would amount to violence against the bees. They are are also not supposed to consume food left overnight because of contamination by microbes.

Ahimsa in Buddhist Traditions

Ahimsa is, similarly to Jainism, a core concept in Buddist tradition. It falls under the Pancasilas, or "moral virtues", a part of the Noble Eight-fold path, which includes right speech, thought and action. The Pancasilas or Five Precepts are moral and behavioural ritual guidelines for lay devotees of Buddhism, which those who follow the monastic order (bhikkus and bhikkunis) have separate codes of conduct. The Five Precepts apply to both males and females:

1. Abstain from killing (ahimsa),

2. Abstain from stealing,

3. Abstain from sensual (including sexual) misconduct,

4. Abstain from lying, and

5. Abstain from intoxicants.

Though breaking any of the Five Precepts doesn't invite religious sanction, the powerful belief in Karmic consequences and their impact wards people off of misconduct. Killing in Buddhist belief leads to rebirth in a hellish realm, and for a longer time with more severe conditions if the murder victim is a monk.

Saving animals from meat slaughter is considered a way to acquire merit for a better rebirth.

These moral precepts are voluntarily self-enforced in lay Buddhist culture through the associated beliefs in Karma and samsara (cycle of rebirth and death).

enlightenment and karma

Jainism

Jainism stresses spiritual independence and equality of all life with particular emphasis on non-violence. Self-control is vital for attaining Keval Gyan or Enlightenment and eventually moksha, or realization of the soul's true nature.

Karma in Jainism

In ordinary parlance, Karma refers to thoughts, words and deeds. These are termed as Bhava Karma and are the manifestation of various emotional states. In Jainism, however, karma or Karman also denote very fine, imperceptible particles of matter - the primitive prototype of atoms, which prevail in the environment and attach themselves to the worldly souls known as Dravya (substance) Karma. This definition is unique to Jainism, wherein karma acquires the form of psycho-physical energy which affects an individual through continuous bondage and assimilation with the embodied souls based on their bhava karma or their thoughts and deeds.

The attachment of karma can be visualised as the layering of worldly particles which causes the obfuscation of the true knowledge possessed by a soul. It causes the soul to remain in a state of uncertainty about the ‘truth’; at one moment, the soul gets closer to the truth, in the next, it starts doubting it. Bhava Karma such as desires, anger, pride, malicious intent and action, avarice etc. attract dravya karma, which increases the sufferings of the embodied manifestation.

The doctrine-of-karma-and-transmigration-in-jainismTHE DOCTRINE OF KARMA AND TRANSMIGRATION IN JAINISM ne of the most fundamental doctrines of IndianO religious thought is the doctrin…

Jain Path of Enlightenment

These assimilations persist throughout the life of the embodied soul and even in the process of its transmigration, until the karma are dispelled. Therefore attainment of liberation through Enlightenment is only possible through eradication of Karman done through strict adherence to the five vows of Jainism, namely, Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (Truth), Asteya (non stealing), Brahmacharya (chastity) and Aparigraha (non-possessiveness).

Jains practice rigorous asceticism and self- mortification to eradicate karma and attain enlightenment. Mahavira himself practiced tremendous physical hardships to realize the Truth. He advised his followers to starve and undergo physical suffering as well as discard garments (Digamambars).

Jainism seeks to destroy the evil effects of Karma by rigorous penance, self mortification and non-violence. The Mahayana and Theraveda branches of Buddhism believe that the evil effects of Karma cannot be extinguished in this life. They rather try to destroy the vicious impulses that produce the Karma.

Buddism and Enlightenment

Enlightenment, or nirvana (Pali: nibbāna) is the earliest and most common goal to describe Buddhism.

The literal meaning is "blowing out" or "quenching." It refers both to the act and the effect of blowing (at something) to put it out, but also the process and outcome of burning out, becoming extinguished. It is the ultimate spiritual goal in Buddhism and marks freedom from the the painful cycle of deaths and rebirths, or samsara. It is the extinguishing of the "three fires" or "three poisons": passion (raga), aversion (dvesha), and ignorance (moha).

Nirvana has also been deemed in Buddhism to be identical with anatta (non-self) and sunyata (emptiness) states. It is the end to suffering; the abandonment of selfhood.

The nirvana state has been described in Buddhist texts partly in a manner similar to other Indian religions, as the state of complete liberation, enlightenment, highest happiness, bliss, fearlessness, freedom, permanence, non-dependent origination, unfathomable, and indescribable.

In Buddhism itself, the two most well-known sects of Mahayana and Theraveda (Hinayana), have different definitions of nirvana.

In the Theraveda tradition, liberation is the highest aim. In the Mahayana tradition, the highest goal is Buddhahood, where there is no abiding to nirvana, but the Buddha continues to take rebirths in the world to help liberate beings from the samsara by teaching the Buddhist path (known as bodhisattvas).

Finally, there is the Noble Eightfold Path which leads to the end of suffering:

Right understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and meditation.

However, Buddha recognized that wholehearted commitment to following the path to enlightenment was virtually impossible for anyone living in the ordinary world with everyday human exchange; he therefore propounded in his doctrine the Middle Way between luxury and asceticism. Thus entered the Bodhisattvas.

Bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism (literally: ‘enlightened being’) were the ideal individuals who renounced nibbana in order to help all other beings to salvation. They are often shown richly attired, emphasizing their worldliness in contrast to the simplicity of the Buddha.

Similarly, while liberation is the ultimate goal, in practice, the focus of most lay Buddhists is to accumulate merit through good deeds, donations, and rituals to gain better rebirths rather than nirvana.

These links provide further information on how the Bodhisattvas differ from a layman/laywoman, and their contribution to the religion and its followers.

Karma in Buddhism

In Buddhism, Karma drives samsara- the endless cycle of birth and death for human beings. Good deeds (kusala), and bad deeds (akusala) were seeds that matured either later in one's life, or in the next rebirth. While the existence of Karma is a core belief in Buddhism, as with all major Indian religions, it implies neither fatalism (subjugation of all events to destiny), nor that everything that happens to a person is caused by Karma.

A central aspect of Buddhist theory of karma is that intent matters. Good or bad karma accumulates even if there is no physical action, and just having ill or good thoughts create karmic seeds; thus, actions of body, speech or mind all lead to karmic seeds.

A notable aspect of the karma theory in Buddhism is merit transfer. One can not only accumulate merit through intention and ethical living, but also gain merit from others by exchanging goods and services (ex. charity), or 'transfer' their good merit to living family members.

The significance of the Endless Knot and other symbols is given here.

The Endless Knot: An auspicious symbol, it overlaps without beginning or end, symbolising Buddha's endless wisdom & compassion. It represents how all phenomena are conjoined as a closed cycle of cause & effect

leaders of the faith

Leadership in Jainism

Jainism propounds a moral law of causation wherein the soul is granted individual agency (Atmaswatantrata) as the maker of its own fortunes and misfortunes. Atmaswatantrata or complete control over one’s own atman which emphasises on self-sufficiency and individual agency in attaining oneness with God through self-controlled karma.

THE EXISTENCE OF MANY TRUTHS: ANEKANTAVADA

The Jain doctrine of Anekantvada, also known as Anekantatva, states that truth and reality is complex and always has multiple aspects. This doctrine is also known as the theory of Relativity or the Philosophy of Non‑absolutisim or the philosophy of Relative Pluralism. This principle teaches us how to realize truth in its varied aspects. Every substance has infinite attributes or qualities and different attributes may be seen through different angles. Just as a coin has two sides or a prism has many sides, similarly, every substance or situation has many aspects which could be seen from more than one side. A man may be son of a father and father of a son or he may be someone's brother or nephew or uncle or brother‑in‑law, or grandfather or grandson and so on.

Therefore every substance or situation should be looked from different angles in order to realize the truth underlying its different aspects. It helps us to understand the view‑points of others. If a person ignores various other angles or view‑points of an object or situation, and sticks to one particular angle or view‑point, he will never realize truth in its varied aspects. Thus, Anekantavada teaches us that the kingdom of truth can be reached through different ways.

The existence of the principles of Anekantvada and Atmaswatantrata permits many Acharyas or leaders of the monks, to exist simultaneously in the religion. The followers of the faith can also choose to refrain from joining a sangh or community and pursue the faith on their own. While there is a hierarchy within the sanghas, there is no one defined leadership in Jainism, and many leaders exist.

TIRTHANKARAS

Tirthankaras denotes one that guides over the vast ocean that is Sansaara or the builder of the ford which leads human beings across the great ocean of existence. They attain kevala-jnana or omniscience that is perceived as an intrinsic quality of all souls which they aren’t able to achieve due the existence of Karmic particles that obscure the soul, and are also concerned with lighting the path of liberation to all. However, they are not regarded as the leaders of the faith, rather they are seen as teachers that disseminate the knowledge that they have attained.

Leadership in Buddhism

There are many schools of Buddhism, each with its own leadership hierarchy. The most well-known Buddhist leader is undoubtedly the Dalai Lama, who is the head of the Gelugpa sect, one of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. However, while he is widely respected, he doesn't speak for all Buddhists.

As stated above, the responsibility of salvation is in the hands of its disciples, both lay and ordained. A Lama (spiritual guru/master) can only guide the disciple on the path to Enlightenment, but the true experience of no-self and emptiness that is associated with nirvana can only be done by individual will and motivation alone.

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