|
Lay Jainism
(Householders)
Although monastic life is
the ideal for Jainism, most Jains do not follow the monastic life. It is
understood that these "lay" Jains will not achieve moksha and will,
rather, be reincarnated. They do, however, abide by the principles
of non-hatred and non-violence and, although they are householders with
family and possessions, they do try to maintain a simple way of living in the
world.
Here's
some practical guidance and simple suggestions for living a Jain life in the
modern world
(or:
this
website)
While
monastics abide by five vows, lay Jains
actually have twelve vows they are expected to live by (reason being that
since lay Jains are more involved in life, they need more guidance in how to
interact with life experiences that monastics would not even encounter).
-
Follow the first three monastic
vows and practice moderation as regards the last two (are respected as
honest businessmen)
-
Practice meditation and
may take temporary retreats, fasting and abstaining from sexual activity
Learn
more about the twelve vows of the Jain layperson
Visit
the Temples of Shatrunajaya in Gujarat, India
Explore other Jain temples in India
and throughout the world
-
Lay devotion is as
reverence (not worship) to the 24 Tirthankaras
as examples to aspire to in one’s own life, similar in ritual to Hindu
puja of making offerings and bathing the statues
-
Statues of Tirthankaras
are shown in a stiff standing position, arms down at but not resting on
sides, vines often carved as if growing around images suggesting a long held
pose indicating inactivity and austerity
Click
here to see a typical statue of a Tirthankara
Here is a
series of images of Tirthankara
statues from a Temple in
India
Scriptural sources
(used by both monks and lay Jains):
-
No commonly held canon
among all sects
-
Svetambara canon
includes teachings of Mahavira and a collection of laws and rituals
-
non-canonical works
include biographies of holy persons, commentaries on canonical works, books
of philosophy and science
This ends the lectures on Jainism
Test
your knowledge with some practice quizzes
return to top
|