Jainism

Jain temple

Each Jain temple is regarded as a replica of the assembly hall miraculously created by the gods for Mahavira upon his enlightenment. Hence, in entering a temple, a Jain has the sense of approaching the spot where a living Tirthankara sits in omniscient consciousness. Ideally, a temple is constructed of marble, both to maintain a cool interior and to symbolize the eternal nature of Truth. The interior will vary depending upon the sect. In Digambara and Murtipujak Shvetambara temples, images of the twenty-four Tirthankaras will typically be set in small chambers around the central sanctum.... Read more about Jain temple

Divali

Divali (also called Dipavali or Diwali) is the autumn festival of lights in the Hindu and Jain traditions. In the Hindu tradition, the festival is in honor of the Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Good Fortune, who is invited to be present. In the Jain tradition, the lights are kindled to commemorate the illumination of the Tirthankara Mahavira.

Siddha

Siddha means accomplished or perfected, one who has attained spiritual realization. In the Jain tradition, an enlightened and liberated soul is called a Siddha. Such a soul does not need a body, but transcends the cycle of life and death and dwells in moksha, complete freedom, having regained its original state of pure energy.

Chitrabhanu, Gurudev

Chitrabhanu (b. 1922) renounced home life at age 19 to become a Jain monk. His life as a mendicant followed traditional norms until 1970, when he returned to lay life so that he could fly to Geneva to participate in the second Spiritual Summit Conference of the Temple of Understanding. He has lived in the United States and played a leading role in the American Jain community since 1971.

pratishtha

Pratishtha means establishment or installation and refers to the rites by which images are consecrated for worship in the Hindu and Jain traditions.

anekantavada

The Jain term anekantavada, which literally means “no-one-perspective-ism,” refers to an appreciation for the fact that a variety of apparently contradictory views may all hold validity. Because the Jain position is able to resolve the apparent inconsistencies between other views, however, it is considered to come closer to fully grasping the one underlying truth, satya.

nun

A nun is a woman who renounces worldly life and is ordinarily a member of a monastic order or community, thereby undertaking a special commitment to study, service, asceticism, prayer, or disciplined spiritual practice. In the Buddhist tradition, fully ordained nuns are called bhikkhunis, those who beg alms, depending upon the laity for their food and support. The early lineage of bhikkhunis died out long ago in the Theravada traditions of South Asia, but was preserved in the Mahayana traditions of East Asia where nuns outnumber monks today in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In the Jain tradition,... Read more about nun

mendicant

A mendicant is one who renounces worldly life, is often a member of a monastic order, and is sustained by the alms of the laity.

Kumar, Sushil

Sushil Kumar (1926–1994) was born in a small village in India, became a Jain monk at age 15, and came to the United States in 1974 at the age of 48. He founded Siddhachalam, the first Jain religious retreat center in the United States, in 1983. He was recognized as an acharya, a spiritual teacher, in the Jain tradition and was often referred to by his followers with the honorific: Sushil Kumarji. Despite resistance from more conservative members of the Jain community, Kumar traveled widely to participate in conferences concerned with world peace and animal rights.

Jainism

The term Jain or Jaina refers to the tradition of the Jinas, the “victorious ones” who have won spiritual liberation, and to those who follow it. The Jain tradition as we know it dates back some 2500 years to the life of the teacher Mahavira, said to be the most recent of 24 Jinas. It includes both monastic renunciants and laity, and has long been noted for its adherence to principles of non-violence. Today, there are approximately 3,000,000 Jains living in India, 25,000 in England and Europe, 21,000 in Africa (especially Kenya), and 20,000 in North America.

Tirthankara

In the Jain tradition, a Tirthankara, literally a “ford-maker,” is a spiritual pioneer who has crossed beyond the perpetual flow of earthly life. In each cycle of time, there are twenty-four Tirthankaras. They differ from other Jinas in that, in addition to liberating themselves, they spend their lives as teachers, sharing their knowledge with others. The twenty-fourth Tirthankara of the current age was Mahavira, who is said to have lived in the 6th century BCE.

Snatra Puja

Snatra Puja, the bathing the image of Mahavira, occurs during Mahavira Jayanti, i.e. the annual celebration of the “Birthday of the Great Hero.”

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