Ending violence is duty of each person: Sri Prasanna Sagar Maharaj Jain seer

Jain Muni Sri Prasanna Sagar Maharaj, who is participating in Chaturmasa, will be in Mysore till October 25. He is known for his revolutionary

thoughts on religions. He tells M B Maramkal violence can be conqured through united efforts.

Excerpts

Q: What is your perception about violence which has increased manifold compared to ancient days?

A: Violence was there in the past and it is continuing. But the dimension and definition have changed. In the past, man fought for his survival. Now, his fight is for prestige with ego playing a major role. Violence can be conquered. Every individual plays a role in ending or preventing violence.

Q: From where does your optimism on ending violence originate?

A: India has over 60 lakh religious leaders. People like Sri Sri Ravishanker Guruji and Tarun Sagar Maharaj should take the lead in uniting all these saints, seers, munis and sadhus to root out violence.

Q: Do you think preachings of saintly people will have any impact on people who are violent?

A: Things may not change on a single day. Like how a drop of water trickling on a rock for years leaves its mark on it, definitely a sustained effort will yield results.

Q: What is your opinion on alleged involvement of Islmic groups in terrorism?

A: Islam is a great religion and there is no place for violence in it. I have read Quran. If someone is indulging in violence in the name of religion it is not the fault of the religion, but of the misguided elements.

Q: What is your message to the society?

A: None is happy. If the poor is worried about what to eat, the rich is worried about what and what not to eat. People should shun the western culture of "hotelme jio, hospitalme maro" (live in hotel, die in hospital). Ultimately Indian culture and satsang will help in resolving the issues.

Q: What is your opinion about politics and the role of religion in it?

A: Religion and politics should have sugar-water relationship.

Mahatma Gandhi and Ahimsa

Sohoni Das

Ahimsa or non-violence is the weapon used by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to free India from the British Rule. Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term found in Devanagiri script meaning to do no harm, literally the avoidance of violence (himsa). Ahimsa originated from ancient India and is practiced in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. According to the ancient mythology, Ahimsa is a binding code of conduct that bans on hunting, butchery, meat eating and use of animal products provided by violent means.

Gandhi used this principle against the British during the Indian Independence movement. He believed that the best way to resist tyranny is through civil disobedience, which is founded upon Ahimsa. Gandhi started Non-cooperation movement by protesting the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km (kilometer) Dandi Salt March. Gandhi was able to identify the real motive of the East India Company i.e. trade, hence he decided to boycott all foreign goods and products. He then started the Quit India movement, which became the most forceful movement in the history of the Indian struggle for freedom, with mass arrests and violence on an unprecedented scale. He wanted his disciples to follow the principles of Ahimsa. He asked the Indians to be non-violent during the protests and avoid any violence that are initiated by the British.

The movement brought the entire nation together which left the East Indian Company paralyzed. The British retaliated by offering British Cabinet Mission in 1946, which aimed at grouping Muslim majority states. Gandhi was quite suspicious about the Mission and it was the root cause of partition. Between 1946 and 1948 over 5,000 people were killed in violence. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of the Muslim League, earned a wide-spread support from West Punjab, North West Frontier Province and East Bengal; hence he wanted a separate nation with the Muslim majority. Thus the partition was approved by the Congress leadership to stop the wide-scale Hindu-Muslim civil war.

At midnight on 15th August 1947 India became an independent nation and on 14th August 1947 Pakistan was declared a separate nation with the Muslim majority. Gandhi’s all efforts to keep India united went futile. But even to this day as the Indians prepare themselves to celebrate their independence day on 15th August, the Indians all over the world remembers Gandhi for his struggle and sacrifice to free India from slavery, poverty and end untouchability.

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” quoted by Gandhi the follower of non-violence. His tactics and principles had influenced many leaders like Martin Luther King, James Lawson, and Nelson Mandela to name some. Even to this day the world needs a person like Gandhi to bring about a revolution, a movement to end terrorism, poverty, and to spread the wisdom of Ahimsa. He is known as Mahatma (Great Soul) and Bapu (the father of nation) by all Indians living world wide.

Spiritual sources of life

Acharya Mahaprajna

Repression of desires is called negligence. Once it takes place, it will produce its own consequences. People, who had risen to a high status, fall in no time owing to some negligence or other on their part. If they been waking and self-watchful at the moment, when the seeds of the fall were being sown, they would not have fallen. They fell because they did not do Prayascitta: Prayascitta means destroying the seeds of attachment, aversion etc. before they have begun to sprout. If you do not do Prayascitta, they will sprout.

In course of time they will become your powerful enemies and you will not be able to save yourselves from them. The principle of not killing may be a good principle of life, but, by itself, it does not constitute Ahimsa.

It often happens that those who refrain from killing life entertain wrong notions about Himsa and Ahimsa. They have to be understood and appreciated with reference to attachment and aversion. There can be no Ahimsa unless they have been got rid of. You do not commit murder because you are afraid of its consequences and respect the law. The law will be indifferent to you so far as you abide by it. If you do not, it will take you to task. Law becomes operative only when you transgress it. Ahimsa, on the other hand, refers to Adhyavsaya, i.e. the intentional stage of an act, the moment when it begins in your mind. It consists in not allowing the intention to become active.

All the thoughts and intentions leading to Himsa are to be put an end to. If you are negligent of such thoughts and resolutions, the intention to do Himsa will take root. In Ahimsa the act is immaterial. It is the source of acts, which counts. Adyavsaya is the source of intentions. Once you have understood this fact, we will come to know that you have not only to be wakeful and self-watchful when the act is being done, but also at those moments when the act is being conceived. That is the difference between the legal and spiritual views of life. Adhyatma refers to the source of our actions.

Spiritual judgments are not judgments of acts, but of the mentality, which produces acts.
Bhagawana Mahavira held the soul to be responsible for all our actions. According to him there is no enemy outside us. We ourselves are our own enemies. It is the soul, which is responsible for its own freedom or bondage, happiness and misery. Usually we throw our own responsibilities on others and are restless until we have done so. This is simply a child's excuse. It is true that such an excuse relieves us of mental agony. The spiritual attitude is, however, different. In the last analysis, it is Adhyavsaya which is the source of all illegal and immoral acts.

The Tirthankaras and ancient Acaryas conducted a serious investigation in the spiritual sources of life. What I have said above is a sample of their deep discoveries. My purpose is to inspire a faith, devotion and an urge to explore the sources from where all evils, physical and mental, spring.

Jainism, Tirthankaras and the Indian Way

Dr. Ravindra Kumar
In spite of vital role played by the Vedic-Hindu view of life in the making and developing of the Indian Way, the contribution of others towards its strengthening and welfare cannot be minimized. Also cent percent credit of strengthening the Indian Way from time-to-time cannot be given only to the Vedic-Hindu view of life. Any such attempt will be inappropriate; it will not justifiable. Moreover, such an attempt will penetrate the wide scope of the Indian Way itself. Along with this, it will be an act of indifference from the fundamental spirit of Ahimsa, which is an eternal, greatest and natural value, which calls upon self-realization, and which fills the Indian Way with features like unity and equality.

After Vedic-Hindu view of life the name of Jain philosophy can be mentioned foremostly in context of making the Indian Way firm. The Jain Tirthankaras from time-to-time contributed towards strengthening it. Doesn´t matter if the religious community, known as the Jain today, has no faith in Godlike Supreme Power or Jain philosophy does not make God the basis of human-unity and equality, but the approach through which Jain Tirthankaras, in spite of its limited number of followers, parallel to Vedic-Hindu view of life made Ahimsa the only basis of all human-activities that doubtlessly gave strength to India´s Way in which universal acceptance is nucleus. Doesn´t matter if Jain philosophy connected Ahimsa to tough self-restraint and self-control which would not be possible for commonmen to follow, but the role played by Tirthankaras and Saints of this religious-community in spreading and propagating this eternal, natural and greatest human value is an indivisible and permanent part of open chapters of the Indian Way.

The tradition of Jain philosophy and Tirthankaras is very old. I am particularly of the view that Jain Philosophy is Sanatana. Proofs of existence of Tirthankara Rishabhdev have been found in digging work of sites of the Indus Valley Civilization. Not only was this, as per the mention in the Jain treatises, Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankara, was the son of Nabhi and Marudevi, the king and queen of Ayodhya. In the Rig-Veda itself he has been mentioned as one of the Avataras-incarnations. In treatises of Hindus and Jains both it has also been mentioned that Rishabhdev was from the Ikshavaku family line. Particularly Jain treatises describe that Hindustan [India] was known as Bharatha due to Bharat, the eldest son of Rishabhdev and who was a great king. Undoubtedly, the Jain tradition is quite old. Like Hinduism history of Jainism is ancient. Thus, from ancient times, and particularly from the time of Tirthankara Rishabhdev, Jainism has contributed greatly towards strengthening and developing the Indian Way.

Contribution of the First Tirthankara
The contribution of the first Jain Tirthankara Rishabhdev in strengthening the Indian Way can be apparent on four aspects. And the first among them is that being a great and wise cultivator he trained Indians in systematic agricultural work. He called upon people to domesticate animals on larger scale along with agriculture; he inspired Indians for it. Both these practices could grant dimensions to Ahimsa and thus strengthened the Indian Way.

Bringing the society in the range of simplicity was Rishabhdev´s second major contribution. He made great efforts of bringing commonmen out of the domain of hard rules. He inspired people to lead life on the basis of simple and adaptable laws. In spite of connecting Ahimsa with self-retrain and self-control, he called upon people to make love and friendliness the basis of their social conducts, which confirmed his commitment towards simplicity and adaptable rules for commonmen. In this regards it has been mentioned in the Trilokakshara:

"Dhammo Vadiyamoolo Vanimmiyio Adybihamen"

Meaning thereby, "Rishabh, the first Tirthankara, laid the foundation of the simple dharma. That dharma was based upon love and friendliness."

The third and ever memorable contribution of Rishabhdev towards the Indian Way had been in his work and teachings of developing the art of cottage industries and that too according to demand of time and space. In this connection too he trained the people. It has been mentioned in the Vrihat Swayambhu Istrota:

"Prajapatriyah Prathamam Jajivishiyuh Shashasa Krishyadasiyu Karamasu Prajah"
His fourth contribution had been in his exemplary teachings of realistic honesty particularly for those who were involved in business for their livelihood.

All the above four contributions of Rishabhdev, in spite of being extraordinary in his on time, are worth giving a thought until today. Tirthankara Rishabhdev is ideal for those who think about the Indian Way, who are concerned of making this way firm and broad in prevailing conditions of India and the whole world. Doubtlessly, in this regard, Rishabhdev goes beyond the limits set by any particular religious-community.

Chain of Tirthankaras
After Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankara, his great tradition was spread and propagated among the masses by other twenty-one Tirthankaras in prevailing circumstances of their respective times. Among those eighteen Tirthankaras-Ajitnath, Sambhavnath, Abhinandannath, Sumatinath, Padamprabhu [or Padamprabh], Suparshvanath, Chandraprabhu [or Chandraprabh], Pushpadant, Shitalnath, Shreyansnath, Vasupujya, Vimalnath, Anantnath, Dharmanath, Shantinath, Kunthunath and Arhanath came from the Ikshavaku family line. They made the people realize the importance of Ahimsa and tried their level best to bring day-to-day activities of all general and particular within its domain. They were great initiator of Ahimsa in their respective eras.

Mallinath, the child of Queen Prabhavati and Ikshavaku Vanshiya King Kumbha of Ayodhya, who according to the Digambar sect of Jain-community was masculine in gender and according to the Shwetambar sect a feminine, rose to the stature of the Nineteenth Jain Tirthankara. Like earlier Tirthankaras Mallinath too accomplished the great task of spreading Ahimsa and conveyed the reality of this supreme value for the welfare of all.

Suvratnath and Naninath were twentieth and twenty-first Jain Tirthankaras and both of them also came from the Ikshavaku family line, while Neminath, the twenty-second Tirthankara, came from the Hari Vansha. They successfully went forward in giving dimensions one after the other to Jain philosophy in their respective eras. They became source of inspiration for many to come to the fold of Jainism and make Ahimsa the basis of their chores.

Tirthankara Parshvanath
Parshvanath [872-772 B. C.], the son of King Ashvasen and Queen Vama of Varanasi, who rose to the stature of the Twenty-Third Jain Tirthankara, became most popular in the chain of Tirthankaras after Rishabhdev. He was the predecessor of Vardhamana Mahavira, the last and the Twenty-Forth Tirthankara. The most valuable contribution of Parshvanath to the Indian philosophy and spiritualism was the foundation of the Chaturyama, a fourfold Shramanika system by him. And the solidarity which Parshvanath gave through this contribution to the Indian Way was not the less than any of the Vedic Rishis.

When during the Upanishadic era under the Vedic system Ahimsa was being purified as the supreme human value, and altogether it was being mentioned particularly in the Shandiloyopnishad and Chandogyopnishad, at that very time Parshvanath, with the purpose of making it foremost in theory and practice both, and to accord it the supreme place in prevailing circumstances, made it first in the Chaturyama. Through this he ratified India´s commitment to human equality and unity. Thus, he himself proved to be the best representative of the Indian Way of his time.

Chaturyama is made of those four principles on the basis of which Parshvanath established the Shramanika System. Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya and Aparigraha are included in it. Doubtlessly, by following this system, particularly its principles of true conduct, non-stealing and Aparigraha, the level of ethics and morality increases to a large extent. Both-ethics and morality-are necessary for the development of Ahimsa. They are the means of realizing it. Therefore, through his Chaturyama system, which is made of Satya, Asteya and Aparigraha along with Ahimsa, Tirthankara Parshvanath gave an extension to the Indian Way; he made it concrete.

Vardhamana Mahavira
Vardhamana Mahavira, who rose to the stature of the Twenty-Fourth Jain Tirthankara, was the son of Kashyapgotriya King Siddhartha and Queen Trishla of Kundagram near Vaishali in present Bihar. It was Mahavira who not only had brought forward the Jain tradition established by Rishabhdev but gave to it the best, unprecedented, unique and historical dimension in theory and practice, which could be known and understood by his own lifelong practices. In his own life Mahavira was on the peak of Ahimsa. I am of the view that he was unique in fostering Ahimsa. Until today he holds unique position in this regard. I am not acquainted of any such other who experienced and practiced Ahimsa to the extent as Mahavira did. Also I am not sure whether someone else will become equal to him in this context. Indians can take pride of having such a unique and matchless initiator of Ahimsa like Mahavira who born on their motherland.
Mahavira added Brahmacharya [Celibacy] to the Chaturyama system established by the Twenty-Third Tirthankara Parshvanath. Thus, he based it on five principles-Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. The purpose behind adding this new principle in the Chaturyama system was to make human conduct morally sound. In fact, celibacy is one of the best means of self-control and self-restrain. It contributes towards maintaining mental and physical balance. Furthermore, it plays vital role in developing constructive approach in man. Therefore, it promotes activities related to Ahimsa.

Being a great guide, elucidator and defender, Mahavira took the Indian Way to heights. The Ratna-traya system established by him is one of the living examples of it. Through the Ratna-traya System-Samyak Darshan, Samyak Jnana and Samyak Charitra-he inspired the people to go forward to attain the highest stage of humanity.

Being a great initiator of Ahimsa and elucidator of the Indian Way, Mahavira tried to make all, general or particular, realize that unity in diversity was a reality. He declared Ahimsa to be the soul force, and through its constant development he emphasized upon realizing harmony, which prevailed not only among human beings, but also between a dangerous and a weak or feeble animal. He talked of drinking water by a lion and a buffalo on the same landing-place.

In the scope of Mahavira´s harmony and human-unity all general and particular, woman and man, rich and poor were, and are, equal. All were, and are, eligible of equal progress. All can attain the highest-Moksha. In the entire history of Jain tradition, Mahavira set record of inspiring lacs of men and women to follow Jainism by making Ahimsa nucleus in their day-to-day practices. He wished all to break their bonds and to reach the level of a Tirthankara. In this regard he surpassed all his predecessors.

To understand the reality of the [exiting or materialistic] world, Mahavira proposed a great philosophy of Anekantvad [non-absolutism]. He also presented another philosophy of Syadvad, which was based upon seven possibilities, before the world. These philosophies gave strength to the Indian philosophy on the one hand and on the other they fostered India´s way of life. Moreover, by repeating the principle of possibility of harmony among all creatures he made the aspect of universal acceptance of the Indian Way strong in theory, and by his own pure and true activities in practice.

India’s concept of non-violence

Dr. Ravindra Kumar

India is an ancient civilisation; its harmonious and composite culture is thousands of years old. India has been a leading nation in the fields of spirituality, science and arts for centuries; it has been accepted as a Jnana-Guru of the world. India brought the gift of the greatest, unique and adaptable concept of universal acceptance to the world; it gave the slogan of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. India gave learned men, the Jagatgurus, representing different branches of knowledge. The light of Asia, Gautama Buddha, and the greatest initiator of Ahimsa, Mahavira were born on the Indian soil.

India’s greatness also lies in the fact that its land welcomed and offered refuge to all human beings from different parts of the globe. It did not matter if these people had their own religious community, faith, traditions, or values. After reaching the Indian soil they received a permanent abode without any discrimination. Resultantly, the followers of the world’s six major religious communities dwell in India today as well as people belonging to other religious communities.

Besides national language Hindi, twenty-one regional languages are recognised by the Indian Constitution. However, 1,618 languages are spoken by the people on a local level throughout India. These dialects are the medium of day to day practices of the common man. Furthermore, descendants of six ethnic groups are in India. Indian people celebrate twenty nine major religious festivals. All those who stay on the Indian soil are Indians; they are wayfarers of the Indian Way.

The Indian soil welcomes all. Indians see the image of God in a guest. Providing hospitality is one of the main characteristics of the Indian Way. The one who desired a permanent home on the Indian land not only received permission but received opportunities to march forward on the way to progress as well. Those who assimilated India’s values reached the heights of prosperity and became her own forever. Parsees, the followers of Spitama Zoroaster who reached India from Iran approximately one thousand five hundred years ago, are the living proof of this.
It is Ahimsa that accorded dynamism in the lives of the Indians. It directs their day-to-day behaviour in such a manner that they can ensure their own existence. Furthermore, it has given ever new dimensions to the process of cooperation, the outcomes of which are present in the form of unprecedented and unending development in various walks of life.

Now, prior to discussing India and Ahimsa in depth, it is necessary for us to clarify the meaning of it and the main Indian concepts pertaining to it. In Jainism Ahimsa has been analysed minutely. The twenty-fourth Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira, gave a unique dimension to Ahimsa via his own humanely practices, making it a subject of self-control, pure conduct, and discipline. The essence of Jain Ahimsa lies in the following words, “Complete aloofness from Himsa (violence) is Ahimsa.”

Clearly, Jainism brings Ahimsa within that comprehensive and extensive scope in which the common man’s entry is quite difficult. In it the smallest form of violence is accountable. Therefore, it is not possible for everyone to follow Jainism’s brand of Ahimsa in the practical sense. The Vedic (Hindu) philosophy, which directs day-to-day practices of most Indians on the basis of guidelines decided by the Vedas, especially the Rig-Veda itself, considers Ahimsa to be an evil-free Dharma. Therefore, along with not harming anyone by thought, speech, or deed, and not depriving someone of life, relying for support of violence to maintain order and to accord justice is the basis of Vedic Ahimsa.

Although like Jainism, Buddhism also emphasises upon self-control but generally it is not in favour of any such appeal that becomes impractical for the common man as far as the application of Ahimsa in daily routines by the common man is concerned. Some five hundreds years ago, another religious philosophy, known as the Sikh, arose on the Indian soil. As the Sikh philosophy came into existence in accordance with the Indian traditions and like Gautama Buddha, the outlet of its founders and developers was also from the followers of Vedic religious community. Like Buddhism it accorded its due place to Ahimsa. All Sikh Gurus and Guru Nanak Dev in particular, emphasised on pure and virtuous humanly deeds and self-control. Like Buddha, Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, made harmony the basis of non-violence during his time and motivated people to regulate their actions according to it.

The four common points that we find in the context of non-violence in the four chief philosophies established and developed in India that played vital roles in making India great by strengthening the Indian Way are as follows:

1. Within the domain of non-violence are all living beings
2. In spite of being eternal, natural and the first human value, it is a subject of practice according to the demands of time and space
3. It is an active value; it has nothing to do with cowardice as it is an ornament of the brave, and
4. It is not a subject to be practised occasionally. In theory and in practice it is all-timely.

All the above four points can easily be found in the Gandhian concept pertaining to non-violence. And I would go to the extent of saying all the above four points are present overall in Gandhi’s ideas and practices — the centre of which is non-violence. Gandhian non-violence is an excellent introduction to the Indian concept of Ahimsa overall. If someone desires to know and understand non-violence in India, he should do so by understanding the Ahimsa of Mahatma Gandhi.

Accepting those Rishis greater geniuses and warriors than Newton and Wellington who discovered the rule of Ahimsa in the primitive age, Gandhi declared non-violence to be an active force. Gandhi proved on several occasions that Ahimsa is not the meek submission before the will of the wrongdoer; rather Ahimsa is a fight using soul — a force against the will of a tyrant that ultimately yields victory.

For centuries it was the opinion of many in the world that Ahimsa was a subject limited to hermits or cave-dwellers. Gandhi, however, shattered this myth. He used Ahimsa in the political sphere and proved that it could be successfully applied in all walks of life and at all levels. Gandhi spoke of achieving victory over the injustices of the world’s mightiest empire through non-violent actions of the individual. And as we know from history, his ambition was achieved. For confirmation, the whole series of events pertaining to India’s freedom struggle under his own leadership is before us.

In fact, for the first time in history, Gandhi added a new dimension to Ahimsa in theory and practice by working to unite the common man. He established non-violence as a means that could be most effective in the political sphere. By doing so, although he accepted not hurting anyone by own thought, utterance and deed, but made the intent behind the act the acid test of it. Hence, he removed the doubt that Ahimsa is a subject beyond the reach of the masses.
Mahatma Gandhi clarified the eternality of non-violence and spoke of its naturalness before the common man. He expected the whole world and Indians in particular to be as warriors and develop non-violence to the maximum possible extent. People should apply Ahimsa in their behaviours, ensuring their own personal freedom while securing freedom for all citizens of the world. During the course of his non-violent actions Mahatma Gandhi too believed this, and on the basis of this he stated, “India attracts me. It has everything that a human being with the highest possible aspirations can want.”

Being an ancient civilisation India has maintained its special place in the world. Today, it has its own identity and the role to play. Without doubt, India must march forward with the eternal and natural value of Ahimsa at its centre. By playing its role in international affairs and on the basis of Mahatma Gandhi’s following message it must transform the slogan of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam into a reality: “I feel that India’s mission is different from that of others…India is less in need of steel weapons, it has fought with divine weapons, it can still do so. Other nations have been votaries of brute force….India can win all by soul force.”

The writer is a universally renowned scholar and is the Former Vice-Chancellor of Meerut University, India

From The Post

Jains Tread Gentle Path to Peace

By RAY WADDLEReligion Editor

When Pravin Mehta mows the lawn, it's an ethical dilemma.

He mows because it's the suburban custom in this country, but he also asks for forgiveness for hurting the grass and killing creeping crawling things in the ground.

Mehta is a Jain, a practitioner of Jainism, a world religion that sprung from ancient India. As a Jain, he is a disciple of nonviolence. He means to take it seriously. That means avoiding injury to any and all living creatures, if he can.

''Nonviolence goes much deeper than people might think,'' said Mehta, a mechanical engineer who lives in Clarksville. ''It means not only physical, but mental nonviolence. Killing starts with a thought, it starts with speech. So we try to practice nonviolence in thought and speech, too.''
Middle Tennessee's small grouping of Jains gathers for a big day today, the 2,600th birthday of Lord Mahavira (''the Great Hero''), the greatest of all Jain teachers, who found the way to divine knowledge and taught the path of purification.

The Jain Society of Middle Tennessee will met at Gateway Baptist Church in Clarksville today to hear lectures, share food and celebrate. Mehta, who was born in India and came to this country three decades ago, is president of the area Jain organization.

The Jains are a tiny presence in the Bible Belt, about 25 families in Middle Tennessee, mostly immigrants from India. The Jainism they brought with them has elements of Hinduism and Buddhism, but its stress on personal responsibility, nonviolence and other doctrines make it a faith in its own right, stretching back for millennia.

Its name comes from the 24 ''jinas,'' a succession of spiritual victors or great teachers of ancient India. Tradition says the first jina lived 8.4 million years ago. The most recent was Mahavira, born in the 6th century B.C., around the time of the Buddha.

At age 30, Mahavira renounced family to become a wandering ascetic in search of purity and truth. He became a jina after 12 years of severe fasting to cleanse his body and prolonged silence to improve his speech and meditation to clear his mind, according to the Oxford Concise Dictionary of World Religions. He traveled for the next 30 years, teaching the insights he learned until he died at age 73 and passed into ''moksa,'' the liberation of the soul from the burdens of karma and reincarnation.

Jains believe every soul is potentially divine and can escape the cycle of reincarnation and achieve moksa by a life of discipline and purification.

Those disciplines or vows include speaking the truth, sexual monogamy and detachment from material things.

Another discipline central of Jain religion is ''ahimsa,'' nonviolence toward people, animals, even plants. Some Jains build asylums for old or sick animals and care for them until they die a natural death. Vegetarianism is the norm. Some interpret that to mean consuming only those foods that can be harvested without killing the plant or animal. Nuts, milk and fruit are examples.

Jainism always has had a monastic tradition where individuals become monks to devote their lives to attaining moksa. One tradition of Jain monasticism wears white robes as a sign of the striving for purity. Another branch interprets the ascetic life to mean rejection of clothing altogether, even in public.

There are no enforced dictates on Jains, however, so the intensity of the spiritual search of a Jain layman is left up to the individual.

''To a Jain, karma is like barnacles on a boat that accumulate and stick to a person's soul,'' said Tom Russell, who teaches Jainism and other religions at Western Kentucky University.
''The disciplines are about scraping the barnacles off.''