Jainism: Jain Traditions

Liberation of women and gender equality is not the bedrock of Jainism. It grants a woman as much dignity, freedom of thought and opportunity as man. The Jain goal is to attain a liberated state completely free from effects of karma and that is not possible at present in one human life. The awareness and high degree purification is essential for complete liberation. To attain this state it is necessary to halt the impact of karma on the soul and at the same time to eliminate the previously acquired karma that enmeshes the soul. But the only way to attain victory over karma is through further, refined action.

This form of spiritual homeopathy is the attitude that informs Jain understanding of the need to perform ritual actions. Jains believe that since they have eliminated all desires and intentions, they cannot respond to individual's worship, for any kind of response would involve at least a trace of intention. The image in the temple, therefore, contains no real presence of the Jina . Rather, it is a symbol of Perfection that points the worshipper to a spiritual goal.

In Jain tradition, aesthetic values have generally been subordinate to religious ones. But even more important is its involvement with the ritual activities of the believer.

In addition to personal ascetic practices, for most Jains ritual life has centered around temples. Among the major duties of a Jain is to worship images ( deva-puja ), to dedicate images and sacred books, and to build temple and libraries. This not only fulfills the obligation of charity ( dana) and public service but also helps to satisfy the individual's need for achieving the proper mental attitude for spiritual guidance. In the Jain religion divine images in metal and stone are popular to avoid destroying insects and micro-organisms in clay and killing elephants for ivory.

The Jain mode of worship is without any intermediary, or priests. Jains perform the temple rituals themselves. Before entering the sanctum sanctorum ( vedi ) in the temple, the worshipper bathes and puts on pure clothing, to emphasize the goal of purifying one's soul of the stain of karmic bondage. As an act of separation from the profane world some Jains will recite three times an ancient Prakrit phrase. While taking darshan of the image of Jina , the worshipper imagines that he or she is not just in front of a metal or stone image but is in the actual presence of the Jina , who is a witness to the individual's spiritual efforts.

The worshipper bows down with folded hands and might even lie prostrate on the floor, as a sign of submission to the Jina 's teachings. Jains believe that since the Jina have eliminated all desires and intentions, they cannot respond to an individual's worship, for any kind of response would involve at least a trace of intention. The image in the temple, therefore, contains no real presence of the Jina. Rather, it is a symbol of perfection that points the worshipper to a spiritual goal. The devotee circumambulates the central chamber three times. To symbolise right faith, right understanding, and right conduct, the "three jewels" of the Jain tradition that lead one to liberation. Throughout the ritual, devotional hymns are sung to the specific Jina whose image is in the temple ( vedi ) and the universal Jain prayer as the Navkar Mantra, or litany of reverence.