Jain Dictionary

Jain:

An adherent of Jainism, an Indian religion traceable to Mahaaveera of the 6th century BC. Jains will not kill a living thing, not even an insect, believing fervently that all life is God. Jainism is still a minor religion in India today.

(See also: Jain , Body Mind and Soul)

Jain:

Jain. Adherent of Jainism, Indian religion traceable to Mahavira of the 6th century B.C.

(See also: Jain , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Ajita (Sanskrit) (from a not + the verbal root ji to conquer, triumph)

The invisible, unsurpassed; in the Vayu-Purana, the highest of twelve gods, named jayas, who were created by Brahma to aid him at the beginning of the manvantara. But because they neglected his directives, Brahma "cursed" them to be born in each succeeding manvantara until the seventh, the Vaivasvata-manvantara (cf VP 1:15; n2, p. 26). These twelve jayas are the Hindu equivalent of the twelve great gods of Greco-Roman mythology. Because of their all-permeant character, on a lower scale these divinities are identical with the manasa, the jnana-devas, the rudras, and other classes of manifested deities. In these lower manifestations of their functions, they are identical with those dhyani-chohanic groups which "refuse to incarnate," spoken of in The Secret Doctrine.

Also the name of the second of the 24 Tirthankaras or Jain teachers.

(See also: Ajita , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Agama (Sanskrit) (from a toward, near + the verbal root gam to come, go)

Coming near, approaching. As a masculine noun, approach, appearance; studying, reading, acquisition of knowledge, science. In philosophy, traditional teaching handed down; likewise a collection of sacred doctrines such as the Brahmanas.

Saivites (devotees of Siva) recognize 28 agamas as continuing the full doctrine; Saktas list 77 agamas or tantras; Vaishnavas (followers of Vishnu) regard the Pancharatra Agamas as their sacred books; and the Jain agamas as a whole constitute the Jain canon.

(See also: Agama , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Rishabha rsabha (Sanskrit) Power, strength, excellence; the second zodiacal sign, Taurus the Bull; in the Vedas and Upanishads, often used to mean pranava or Aum.

Abbreviated as rii, it is the second of the seven notes of the Hindu musical scale. According to the Bhagavata-Purana, the first teacher of the Jain doctrines in India; the first Jain Tirthakara (tirthankara) or arhat.

(See also: Rishabha, rsabha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Adinatha (Sanskrit) (from adi primeval, first + natha protector, lord from the verbal root nath to seek aid)

Primordial protector or lord; occasionally applied to adi-buddha and other cosmic hierarchs, such as Siva. Adinatha is also known as Rishabha, the first of the 24 Tirthankaras or Jain teachers.

(See also: Adinatha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Jainism: (Jaina) (Sanskrit) An ancient non-Vedic religion of India made prominent by the teachings of Mahavira ("Great Hero"), ca 500 bce. The Jain Agamas teach reverence for all life, vegetarianism and strict renunciation for ascetics.

Jains focus great emphasis on the fact that all souls may attain liberation, each by his own effort. Their great historic saints, called Tirthankaras ("Ford-Crossers"), are objects of worship, of whom Mahavira was the 24th and last. Jains number about six million today, living mostly in India.

See: Mahavira.

(See also: Jainism , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

A Dictionary of Spiritual Terms. From Acupuncture to Zoroaster.

Please note that all words in grey, like "yoga", "enlightenment" or "kundalini" are hyperlinked to archives further explaining the term. At the corresponding archive you will also find articles related to the term.

Sramanacharya Sramanacarya (Sanskrit) [from sramana ascetic + acharya teacher]

A Buddhist or Jain teacher of ascetic type.

(See also: Sramanacharya,Sramanacarya , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Tirthankara (Sanskrit) [from tirtha a place of pilgrimage + kara maker, or doer from the verbal root kri to make, do]

Also tirthakara. Jain saints and chiefs, of which there are 24; equivalent to Jaina, or Jaina arhat.

(See also: Tirthankara , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Jaina:

Jaina (sometimes Jain): pertaining to the jinas ("conquerors"), the liberated adepts of Jainism; a member of Jainism, the spiritual tradition founded by Vardhamana Mahavira, a contemporary of Gautama the Buddha

(See also: Jaina ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Arahat (Sanskrit). Also pronounced and written Arhat, Arhan, Rahat, &c., "the worthy one", lit., "deserving divine honours". This was the name first given to the Jain and subsequently to the Buddhist holy men initiated into the esoteric mysteries. The Arhat is one who has entered the best and highest path, and is thus emancipated from rebirth.

(See also: Arahat , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Jains, Jainas (from jina victorious)

Followers of the jinas; one of the major Indian religions. Scholars place their origin in the 5th century BC, believing them to be the last direct representatives of the philosophical schools which then flourished.

Jainism, however, became overshadowed with the rise of Buddhism, which it closely resembles; but came to the front when the Buddhist fervor waned in India. The first recorded Jain teacher is Vaddhamana (known as Mahavira, "the great hero"), a contemporary of Gautama Buddha; the Jains themselves state that there was a succession of teachers antedating him, and enumerate 24 Jinas or Tirthankaras.

Jains deny the authority of the Vedas and do not believe in any personal supreme god. They have a complex religious philosophy which includes belief in the eternity of matter, the periodicity of the universe, and the immortality of human's and animal's minds. They are particularly known for avoiding harming any living thing.

(See also: Jains, Jainas , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Sramana (Sanskrit) [from the verbal root sram to exert]

Making effort or exertion; toiling, laboring; one who performs acts of penance and mortification -- an ascetic of such type. Particularly applied to Buddhist monks or mendicants, to Buddha, or to a Jain ascetic.

When a sravaka from theory goes into the actual practice of self-control in all its senses, he becomes a saramana, a practicer of the esoteric instructions. Mere asceticism, however, apart from strict spiritual aspiration and intellectual training, is of little value, and too often distracts the attention of the student merely to care for the body and its appetites. The story of the Buddha himself well illustrates this, for the time came when he abandoned ascetic mortification of the body and turned his entire attention to the far greater and more difficult spiritual and intellectual discipline and evolution.

(See also: Sramana , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

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Vihara (Sanskrit) [from vi-hri to spend or pass time, roam, wander through]

A Buddhist or Jain monastery or temple; originally a hall where the monks met or walked about, afterwards used as temples. Today those viharas are in towns and cities, but in earlier times they were generally rock-temples or caves found only in unfrequented jungles, on mountaintops, and in the most deserted places.

(See also: Vihara , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Gymnosophists

(Greek. , "naked philosophers") Hindu, Jain, or Buddhist ascetics as represented in Greek literature after Alexander the Great's Indian journey (327-325 BC).

(See also: Gymnosophists , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Gymnosophists

(Greek. , "naked philosophers") Hindu, Jain, or Buddhist ascetics as represented in Greek literature after Alexander the Great's Indian journey (327-325 BC).

(See also: Gymnosophists , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Dravya (Sanskrit) (from the verbal root dru to run, be in motion, become fluid, melt)

Substance, thing, object; in philosophy, elementary substance, of which nine are mentioned in the Nyaya system: prithivi, ap, tejas, vayu, akasa, kala, dis, manas, and atman; in the Jain system there are only six: jiva, dharma, adharma, pudgala, kala, and akasa.

In the seven padarthas (catagories of existing things) of the Vaiseshika system, dravya is enumerated as the first and corresponds to sthula-sarira in the theosophical sevenfold classification of the human principles.

(See also: Dravya , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Jainopasana:

Jainopasana (Jainopaasana). Jain mode of worship.

(See also: Jainopasana , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)