Basic Principles of Jainism

Tirthankara : One who is the founder of the four-fold order of monks, nuns, sravakas and sravikas. Tirthankara is defined as a soul who has destroyed all of his four Ghati karma's and one of his four Aghati karma's. This soul had regained its original attributes of perfect knowledge, vision, power, and bliss. However it does possess a human body and he has to complete the remaining span of his life. During this remaining span of his life he establishes the four fold order of monks, nuns, sravakas and sravikas. He preaches the Jain philosophy and religion. At the last moment of Tirthnkara's remaining life span, he destroys the remaining four Aghati karma's, becomes a perfect soul and lives in a ever blissful condition at the top of Lokakas as Moksha.

Six Universal Substances :

1. Soul - Jiva or consciousness
2. Matter - Pudgala
3. Dharma - Principle of motion
4. Adharma - Principle of rest
5. Space - Akasa
6. Time - Kala

Jainism believes that the universe is made from the combination of the six universal substances. All of the six substance are indestructible, imperishable, immortal, and eternal. Jainism does not believe in god as creator or destroyer of the universe. God is defined as a pure consciousness or as a pure Chetna. (Soul who has completely exhausted all of its karma is known as Siddha, and all Siddhas are defined as Gods). All the instances that happen in one's life such as pleasure, pain, sorrow, happiness, death, depression, relationships, etc. are the results if one's own karma that one has accumulated in its past or present life.

Substances 2 to 6 are broadly categorized as Ajiva. In other words, universe is made of Jiva and Ajiva.

1. Soul (Jiva) : Its essential characteristics of Consciousness. This is the only knowing substance. It possesses knowledge, perfect vision, perfect power, and perfect bliss. It also possesses the property of contraction and expansion like that of light. they are of infinite numbers. There are two type of Soul.

A. Free : It is free from all karma's and is called liberated soul, and is known as Siddha or God. Free soul does not possess body. It possesses perfect knowledge, vision, power and bliss. It never returns again in to cycle of life, death, pain and pleasure. It lives in Moksha, which is located on the top of Lokakas. They are of infinite number for example Tirthankaras and other Keval gyanis become Siddhas after Nirvana.

B. Worldly : It possesses body (plant, naraki, tiryanch, human, or angel) and wanders into the cycle of life and death. It is covered with karma. It possesses limited knowledge, vision, power and bliss. It suffers form life, death, pain, pleasure, etc. They are of infinite number. It is the doer of all kinds of karma's and enjoys the fruit of the karma's. It is capable of becoming free from worldly life. Worldly souls are divided according to the number if sense organs they possess.

One Sense (Ekendria) - Possesses one sense organ touch only, It cannot move, they are subdivided into five categories.
Soul that possesses Earth as its body - Prithvikaya
Soul that possesses Water as its body - Apakaya
Soul that possesses Fire as its body - Agnikaya
Soul that possesses Air as its body - Vayukaya
Soul that possesses Plant as its body - Vanaspatikaya
Two Senses (Beindriya) - Possesses two senses-touch and taste.
Three Senses (Treindriya) - Possesses three senses-touch, taste, smell.
Four Senses (Chauindriya) - Possesses touch, taste, smell and sight.
Five Senses (Panchandriya) - Possesses touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing.
Souls with one to four sense organs do not possess mind. Souls with five sense organs possess mind.

2. Matter (Pudgala) : It is a matter or body. It is of infinite number. It possesses color. It does not have consciousness. The smallest particle of a matter is known as an Parmanu (atom). Their paramanu occupies only one pardesa (unit of space).

There are four divisions of matter :

Skandha : Anything which is whole and which is mass matter can be called skandha. e.g. stick, stone, knife, a particle of sand.
Skandha-desa : Desa means part, Portion, Constituent, or division. A part of Skandha which is connected with it, is called Skandha-desa. e.g. One fourth of a stick. When part
of the Skandha is separated from the whole, it also becomes another skandha.
Skandha-Pradesa : The Smallest division of skandha. Which cannot be further divided is called Skandha-Pradesa.
Parmanu : When prides is reparted from its Skandha, it is called anu or paramanu. Parmanu matter cannot be sub-divided, cut, or pierced.

Karma : Karma is one of the categories of the matter. It is known as karmic matter. Karma particles are of very fine matter not perceptible of the senses. The entire universe if full of such karmic matter. The relationship between soul and karma exist from the beginning of time. the soul is covered by karmic matter. It is the karmic matter that keeps the soul away from realization of its true nature. (The true nature of the soul is perfect [perception, perfect knowledge, perfect power, and perfect happiness.)

The Soul, Which is covered by Karmic matter from beginning of time, goes on acquiring new ones from the universe and exhausting old ones into the universe through the actions of body, mind, and speech at every moment.

Casual Body (Karmana Sharira) : The Karmic matter covered to the soul is called casual body. It changes every moment because new Karma is continuously flowing in due to activities of body, mind, and speech. At the time of death, the soul is accompanied by the casual body, leaves the present physical and other subtle bodies. The casual body forms the basis of the other newly produced bodies.

Transmigration : The Soul, after dwelling in one body for a certain length of time, leaves and enters into another body in accordance with its accumulated Karma's. It may assume a human, animal, plant, celestial, or lower form. The Soul is compelled by its Karmic forces to assume different bodies in different forms.

3. Dharma : Dharma helps in the motion of Soul and Matter, It does not possess sense, color and body. It does not have consciousness. It exists in Lokakas.

4. Adharma : Adharma helps to rest Soul and Matter. It does not possess senses, color, and body. It does not have consciousness. It exists in Lokakas.

5. Space : Space substance provides space to Soul, Matter, Dharma, Adharma, and Time. It Pervades everywhere. Space is the support of everything and thus it is self supported. It has no form, color, taste, smell, and touch. It does not perform any action, however it does not perform any action, however it does give accommodation to Soul and Matter of their actions. Space is one and whole, where Dharma and Adharma substance exist, it is called Lokakas, and the remaining place is empty and is called Alokakas.

6. Time (Kala) : Time comes as an agency in changes of Soul and Matter. It is not a cause of changes. Smallest indivisible portion of time is called Samaya. Combination of Samayas are moment, Second, Minute, Hour, Day, Month, Year, etc.

Innumerable Samayas = One Avali, time required to blink an eye
256 Avali's = One smallest bhav Seventeen and half smallest bhava's = 1 Breath
Seven Breath = 1 Stok
Six Stok's = 1 luv
38 and half luv = 1 Ghadi
16,777,216 Avalis and 2 Ghadi's = One Muharta (48 Minutes)
30 Muhuratas = One day
15 Days = One fortnight or One Puksh
2 Fortnights = One month
Two months = One Season
Three Seasons (six months) = One Ayan
12 Months (two Ayan's) = One Year
Five Years = One Yug
20 Yug's = One Shatabdi (one hudred years)
84 lakh's years = One Purvang
Purvang X Purvang = One Purva (70560000000000 years)
Innumerable Years = One Palyopama
1,000,000,000,000,000 Palyopamas = One Sagaropam.
1,000,000,000,000,000 Sagaropam = One Kal
2,000,000,000,000,000 Sagaropam = One Kalchakra

The ultimate end and purpose of all life and activity is to realize the free and blissful state of our true being. True philosophy in Jainism should result in removing all impediments in the process of purification of the Soul. Jainism holds that right faith (Samyak Darshan), right knowledge (Samyak Gyan) and right conduct (Samyak Charitrya) all the three (Ratna Trayi) must co-exist in a person if one is to make any progress on the path of liberation.

A. Right Faith (Samyak Darshan) : It consists in seeing the real nature of things truly. Jainism advocates that one should first try to know, comprehend, and grasp the nature of the reality, of one's own self, of religious goal and the path, analyze it, examine it, test it, and verify it, and then, if satisfied, be convinced of its truth and efficacy. From the practical point of view, faith in the nature of the reality means to know, Six Universal Substance and Nine Tattvas. For obtaining correct knowledge of these Tattvas one has to rely and put faith in the true scriptures (Agam) and its source Tirthankara.

B. Right Knowledge (Samyak Gyan) : Right faith or conviction makes us to realize the reality of life and the seriousness of our purpose in life. Right knowledge is the true, correct, proper, and relevant knowledge of the Tattvas. It represents the teaching of the Tirthankaras and is contained in the Agam scriptures. Right knowledge makes us examine in detail the matter brought in to the mind by right conviction. Of course, both are mental processes, the difference is in degree. Right knowledge must be free from three main defects, doubt, delusion, and indefiniteness.

There are five kinds of knowledge's :
Matigyan : Knowledge obtained by normal means of mind and senses.
Shrutgyan : Knowledge obtained through signs, Symbols, words. To know by hearing from wise and reading scriptures.
Avadhigyan : Direct knowledge of corporeal things without the means of senses and time and within some limit of space and time. It is a kind of spiritual knowledge or extra sensory perception.
Manparyagyan : Direct knowledge of thoughts of others with in a certain limit of space and time without the means of mind and sense.
Kevalgyan : This knowledge completely reveals without the aid of senses and mind, the truth of all things, corporeal or non-corporeal, past, present and future of the whole universe. Keval knowledge id the nature of the soul and it dawns when the four Ghati karma's are completely exhausted. Once this states is realized it becomes certain that the Soul will attain final liberation when the remaining span of life comes to an end. The Tirthankaras are such persons possessing Kevalgyan.

C. Right Conduct (Samyak Charitrya) : Proper, correct, appropriate, and truly natural conduct of the Soul is known as Right Conduct. The main purpose for a person is to free himself from attachment and aversion that is from all the impure activities of thoughts, word, and deed and attain the state of thoughts, word and deed, and the state of perfect equanimity. For partial purpose, right conduct compromises the ethical code, rules and disciplines which aspirant is required to pursue.
This resolves into taking the five vows of ascetic or house-holder.
Ahimsa - Non-violence
Satya - Truth
Achurya - Non-stealing
Bhramacharya - Chastity
Aparigraha - Non-possession
Right faith and Right knowledge are required for Right Conduct and all are inter-dependent.

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