RELS221 Sikhism and Jainism

Digambara

"sky-clad" -Southern; no female renouncers (rebirth as male) -Jinas while alive transcend body and thus do not eat, sleep, speak (but communicate through supernatural sound)

Akal Purakh

"timeless being"

Svetambara

"white-clad" -Northern; female renouncers; 19th century Jina female -Jinas still embodied when alive and thus eat, sleep, and speak

Tirthankaras

'bridge builders' that built a bridge across the ocean of rebirth and re-death, or samsara

Ahimsa paramo dharma

'non-violence is the supreme path' -violence does harm not only to others but to self (through accrual of karma) -near impossibility of not committing violence, except through total cessation of activity- mind, body, speech -jiva -even non-intentional harm is karma-producing

Ajiva

'pure matter' (pudgala) -basic form of ajiva, includes activites of mind, body, thought, and speech -not inherently bad or evil >but necessary to gain knowledge of how to be free of it ----true bliss is separation

Samyak darshana

'right faith' or 'correct intuition' as momentary awakening to or "sight" of true self as start of Jain path true self: beyond the world, a deep silent tranquility or luminous, radiating peace that is indifferent to noise of world

Jinas

'victors' or 'conquerors' are the 24 ascetic prophets (Mahavira being the most recent) who show the path to happiness ascetic- given up pleasures of life to pursue the religious life in an intense fashion but have great success in the world

Shramana Movement

'world renouncing' movement -Jainism (and Buddhism and Upanishads) part of this larger Indian movement -all were critical of the Brahmin religion, especially sacrificial religion, and sought liberation from samsara

Khalsa

('Pure') -initiation as 'rebirth' into the house of the Guru -an order of intensely loyal and disciplined Sikhs that continues to this day -initiation through drinking of a sweet 'nectar' (amrit sanskar) stirred with a two-edged sword -males take Singh ('lion') and females Kaur ('princess') as name SINS: cutting hair, intoxicants, adultery, eating meat not properly slaughtered with a single blow -the 5 K's (panj kakke) as outward signs

Gurmukh

('one oriented towards the guru') as ideal person

Practice: Three Jewels

1. correct practice (samyak carita) 2. correct intuition (samyak darshan) 3. correct knowledge (samyak jnana)

Religious Diversity/Pluralism of Punjab

1.) 3 Islamic Sufi orders: -mystical -ecstatic -poetic movements 2.) Jains -world renouncers, monks/nuns, sky-clads 3.) Hindu bhakti -devotees of Vishnu, Shiva, and the goddess 4).* Nath yogic sects (also considered "Hindu") -Hatha yoga practitioners, tantra influenced -anti-caste, anti-scriptures/sacred languages, anti-temple and pilgrimage

Two main communities of Jain

1.) Digambara 2.) Svetambara

Four meanings of Guruship

1.) God as Guru >Sikhs also use Hindu and Muslim names for God though ultimately God is beyond all names 2.) Teacher as Guru >i.e. the Ten Gurus >Doctrine of the "unity of the office of the guru" 3.) Scripture as Guru >i.e. Guru Granth Sahib 4.) Community as Guru >especially with formation of Khalsa

The Five K's

1.) Unshorn hair (Kes): spirituality and saintliness 2.) Wooden comb (Kangha): order and discipline 3.) Miniature sword (Kirpan): divine, grace, dignity, courage 4.) Steel 'wrist-ring' (Kara): responsibility and allegiance to guru 5.) Short breeches (Kachh): moral restraint

Life cycle rituals

1.) naming a child -use of Guru Granth to determine name 2.)marriage -performed in the presence of the Guru Granth 3.)Khalsa initiation -no fixed age for this 4.)death by cremation -considered either a return to God or reincarnation -reading of entire Guru Granth

Three levels of nam-simaran in 'Remembering the Divine Name'

1.) repetition of a sacred word >Vahiguru ('Praise to the Eternal Guru') 2.) devotional singing of hymns with congregation 3. Meditation

Guru Gobind Singh

10th guru -required Sikhs to make a public show of their identity -creates Khalsa -Adi Granth and Sikh canon closed to further additions -ends line of Gurus >authority now vested in Adi Granth (Guru-Granth) and community (Guru-Panth) >from now on text as guru and to be treated as such in Sikh worship (bowing to text, placing it on a cushion, fanning it, placing a kind of roof of tapestry over it)

Guru Nanak

1469-1539 -founder of the Sikh tradition -3 distinct phases of his life -mystical experience in 1499, he disappeared in river for 3 days and resurfaced stating "there is no Hindu, there is no Muslim"

Guru Amar Das

3rd guru -established 22 bases (manjis=seats of authority) for missionary worik -Reforms for women: >aboulished veil and sati >allowed widow remarriage >women missionaries

Guru Ram Das

4th guru -established town of Amristar ('nectar of immortality'); which is the large bathing pool at its center

Mahavira

599-527 BCE -24th Tirthankara and last of this cycle of degeneration (to be followed by a cycle of generation) -rejected brahminical orthodoxy, caste, elaborate liturgy and ritual (especially sacrifice) -rejected a creator god: world as a purposeless place of suffering to be transcended -Mahavira as Kevalin ('liberated one') and omniscient and comprehending all objects, he knew and saw all conditions of the world, of gods, men, and demons

Guru Arjan

5th guru -builds 'Golden Temple' in the pool at Amritsar -organizes Adi Granth ('Original Book') -strong sense of Sikh identity established "We are neither Hindu nor Muslim" -executed in 1606 >1st martyrdom and turning point in Sikhism >pushed community toward self-defensive militancy

Guru Hargobind

6th guru -at investiture, dons two swords symbolizing: 1.spiritual authority (piri) 2.temporal authority(miri)

Guru Tegh Bahadur

9th guru -public execution; he refused to embrace Islam -2nd martyrdom

Sacred Scriptures

Adi Granth or Guru-Granth -comprised of the hymns/writing of 36 authors >mostly those of the Sikh Gurus (1-5, and 9th) >some compositions by 15 non-Sikhs or 'Bhagats' >Compositions stretch from 12th to 17th centuries

Prayer

Daily routine of Liturgical Prayer 1.) morning meditation and recitation of prayers >approx 1 hour >between 3 am to 6 am, called the 'ambrosial hours' >recite Nanak's Japji and Gobind Singh's Jap Sahib 2.) Evening prayers >recite Sodar Rahiras 3.) Bedtime prayers >recite Sohila

Kirtan

Guru Nanak's 974 devotional hymns as the basis for congregational worship called kirtan

Liberation

Guru Nanak's belief in the possibility of achieving spiritual liberation through a combination of meditation on the divine Name (nam) and ethical action

Practice: Two types of strategies needed

Jaina practice aims to purify the soul of the pudgala that clings to it. By shedding obstructive karma, the soul becomes free to manifest its true nature, radiant and powerful. Practice are of two types: 1.) Strategies for impeding accumulation of new karma >mindfulness and detachment 2.) Strategies for 'burning off' (tapas) old karma >fasting and meditation

Householder Practice

householders take the small or lesser vows (anuvratas) -they are same as 'great vows' of ascetics but interpreted more leniently i.e. >householders not concerned with harm to invisible beings >celibacy means chastity in marriage >non-possessions means overcoming attachment to things

Conversion-based Religion

initially, converts from other traditions (Hindus and Muslims) are first members of community

Guru Nanak on Women

men and women are equal before God >women, though, did not fulfill the role of Guru in early community

Threefold Discipline

nam dan ishnan: -nam = divine name -dan = charity -ishnan = purity These 3 are seen as the balancing of the Divine (nam), Society (dan), and Self (ishnan)

Congregational Worship

a guru Granth Sahib in every gurdwara -wrapped in expensive cloth and installed ceremoniously every morning on a cushioned, canopied stand. All are expected to bow before the sacred volume by toughing the floor with their foreheads. -worship consists mainly of kirtan: the singing of devotional hymns accompanied by musicians -taking the Guru's Word -Langar

Karma Theory

all activity of mind and body cause vibrations that create ever more particles of sticky, binding karma to adhere to jiva -a materialist theory of karma -all forms of karma (bad and good) must be purged for liberation

The early Sangha

also known as 'Four-fold Community' -established by Mahavira -made up of monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen -acceptance of women as renouncers (radical for its day and other shramana groups) -at Mahavira's death: 36,000 nuns 14,000 monks 318,000 laywomen 159,000 laymen

Tapas

austerities for "burning off" or purging karma most effective tapas: -fasting -study of the Agamas -meditation

Ultimate goal of 'Remembering the Divine Name'

blissful 'equanimity' (sahaj) in the realm of truth; the fifth and last stage, which is mystical union with Akal Purakh

1st Guru Nanak

established the guru as "one" whatever form the occupant of the office may take

Sacred Literature

first Jina commences teachings passed orally down to Mahavira -Agama; the commitment to renunciation and non-violence >Jain canon--written form by 2nd century CE

Old karma

nirjara

Nirjara

process of purging karmic residue is purpose behind most Jain practives -tapas

Notions of the Divine

reject anthropomorphism or gender- though refer to God as "like" a Father, Mother, Friend, Brother -God is without gender

Acetic Practice: Restrictions

restrictions on initiation into ascetic life -requires permission of family or spouse -no one allowed who is physically, emotionally, or mentally fragile

State of equanimity

samayika

Householder practice: reflection-meditation

samayika -daily practice for period of 48 minutes for leaving body behind and 'dwelling in the soul' and attaining a state of equanimity -a foretaste of the joyous state of final release

New karma

samvara

realm of liberation

siddha loka

Jiva

souls in all life forms "universe as a swarm of souls"

Puja

worship of the Jinas

Sikh

"disciple" People who identify themselves as Sikhs are disciples of Akal Purakh

Foundations of the Sikh Panth

-Founds village of Kartarpur ("Creator's Abode") in 1519 -Nanak as authoritative spiritual guide of community >authority based on his experience >expected obedience from his "disciples" -*Kirtan -*Message that differentiates his path from others through direct reference in hymns -*Conversion-based religion -*Threefold Discipline of nam dan ishnan -Three Institutions Developed at Kartarpur

Divine Revelation

-available to all if one overcomes self-centerdness (haumai), which is the fundamental problem/obstacle -nam- divine presence or 'name' manifest everywhere -'divine word' (shabad) uttered by God to Gurus to awaken people

Guru Nanak's message to different audiences

-defines 'true Muslim' and 'true Hindu' as an inner spirituality -critiques conventions of ritual and pilgrimage -critiques use of temples and mosques -critiques brahmins and mullas (both religious specialists of Hinduism and Islam respectively) -critiques reliance on Vedas and Qu'ran

Householder practice: fasting and dietary practices

-dietary restrictions on meat, fish, eggs, fruits with many seeds, root vegetables, alcohol

Ascetic Practice: Ahimsa Vow

-most difficult of the five >implies no harm in speech, action, and thought >applies to invisible air-bodied beings, water, fire, earth, as well as plants, insects, animals, humans ascetics cannot prepare their own food --total dependence on householders --and can eat only "left-overs'' and already cooked, boiled, or peeled food to insure that it is 'without life' -14 states to self-realization (householders rarely rise about the fifth)

Remembering the Divine Name

-nam-simaran -a method for attaining God - self-centerdness as source of lust, anger, covetousness, attachment to worldly things, and pride -'Remembering the Divine Name' as interior discipline to transcend self-centeredness -Three levels of nam-simaran -Ultimate goal

Taking the guru's word

-practice of randomly opening Guru Granth and reading in order to receive the Guru's "word" (yak) -done in response to a problem/issue or as day's message

Sikh Ethics

-service (seva) to others >without judging or distinction (by caste, gender; i.e. the langar) -oneness of humankind and all religions >strives to eliminate poverty and to offer voluntary help to the less privileged

3 distinct phases of Guru Nanak's life

1). Contemplative period: meditation and devotional singing each morning and evening 2). A mystical experience of enlightenment, followed by years of wandering and religious debate 3). establishes first community in Kartarpur

Three Institutions developed at Kartarpur

1. Sangat ('holy fellowship') 2. Gurdwara (the place of worship) 3. Langar (communal meal with all castes and genders sitting side-by-side)

Short Response: Jainism Non-violence in Jainism: Explain the centrality of non-violence in Jainism. Explain the religious logic of non-violence and the effect it will have on Jain practice and life.

In Jainism, harm done to other beings is considered harm to oneself because it attracts much karma. Ahismsa means to be without; to be utterly harmless, not only to oneself and others, but to all forms of life, from the largest mammals to the smallest bacteria. Ascetics cover their mouths and sweep the ground before them with small brushes to avoid injuring the most minuscule forms of life. In Jainism, ahimsa is formalized as the first major vow of the ascetics. The violence refers primarily to injuring one's own self --behavior which inhibits the soul's own ability to attain liberation. At the same time it also means to violence to others because it is this tendency to harm others that ultimately harms one's own soul. They abide by a rigorous set of rules of conduct, where they must eat, sleep and even walk with full diligence and with and awareness that even walking kills several hundreds minute beings. They generally brush the ground clear of insects, some wear a small mask to avoid taking in tine insects. An entire day of a Jain is spent in ensuring that he observes his vow of ahimsa through mind, body and speech faultlessly because they believe that every action, no matter however subtle, has a karmic effect which can bind soul and inhibit liberation

Short Response: Jainism Mahavira: Provide a brief biography. Explain his relation to other religious movements of his day. How is he understood by Jains and how is he commemorated?

Mahavira means great hero and he is the 24th and last Tirthankara. Regarded as the man who gave Jainism its present day form; he lived during the same time as Buddha. This era was characterized by a shift in Indian religion away from Vedic ritualism and worship of the gods. When he died at 72, he attained moksha: the complete detachment from samsara. He established Jainism as a four-fold community made up of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. He is also known for his acceptance of women as renouncers At his death he created a community of 36,000 nuns, 14,000 monks, 318,000 laywomen, and 159,000 laymen.

Practice: Material world

Material world and suffering as real -not simply psychological -requiring both bodily practices such as fasting and penaces and a change of consciousness, thinking -soul is actually enmeshed in matter

Sikh Doctrine

Mul Mantar ('Seed Formula'): the fundamental statement on Akal Purakh or God "There is One supreme being, the eternal reality, the creator, without fear and devoid of enmity, immortal, never incarnated, self-existent, known by grace through the Guru, the eternal one, form the beginning, through all time, present, now, the everlasting reality" -Notions of the divine -Karma and samsara model >though God's grace overrules it (i.e. not an impersonal system) -Divine Revelation -Remembering the Divine Name

Major Developments: Reform Murti

Murti veneration by 3rd BCE reform movements usually functioned as reminders to Jains to return to their 1st principles and original ascetic/renouncer ways

Short Response: Sikhism Life of Nanak: Describe the three phases of Guru Nanak's life, including a detailing of his encounter with god. How is this life exemplary for later Sikhism?

Nanak spent long hours absorbed in meditation. Early one morning while he was in the Vein River, he disappeared for three days and then stepped out of the water and claimed that "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim." This statement is significant becomes it becomes the clear in the context of a religious culture divided between the conflicting truth claims of the Islamic and Hindu traditions. Three distinct phases of his life: 1.) Contemplative period: meditation and devotional singing each morning and evening 2.) A mystical experience of enlightenment, followed by years of wandering and religious debate 3.) Establish first community in Kartarpur

Short Response: Sikhism Origins of Sikhism: Briefly describe the religious and historical context out of which Sikhism emerges. Discuss how its founder, practices, and religious worldview are related to this context.

Sikh is a Punjabi word meaning disciples. People who identify themselves as Sikhs are disciples of Akal Purakh, the ten Guru's, and the sacred scripture called the Adi Granth. Sikhism emerged in the Punjab approximately five centuries ago. The main religions of the area at the time were Hinduism and Islam. The Sikh faith began when the founder of the Sikh tradition, Guru Nanak began teaching a faith that was quite distinct from Hinduism and Islam. Nine gurus followed Nanak and developed the Sikh faith and community over the next centuries. Believe that there is only one God. All human beings can have direct access to God with no need of rituals or priests. His most radical social teachings denounced the caste system and taught that everyone is equal, regardless of caste or gender

Practice: Hallmarks of Jaina Practice

The hallmarks of Jaina practice (examples) are undertaken by both renouncers and householders, with the aim of purification through the dual processes of samvara and nirjara. The main difference between the paths of the renouncer and the householder lies in the degree of purification they permit; the renouncer's life is structured by a series of vows (mahavratas) that make is nearly impossible for new karma to develop. 1.) Ascetic discipline 2.) Dietary ristrictions 3.) Fasting 4.) State of equanimity 5.) Prayer of Forgiveness 6.) Sallekhana 7.) Puja

Ascetic Practice: 5 Great Vows (mahavratas)

The mahavratas are five "great vows" accepted by everyone who takes up the life of a Janina ascetic (muni or sadhvi) 1. Ahimsa (non-harm) 2. Truthfulness (satya) 3. Non-stealing 4. Celibacy (including carnal desires) 5. Non-possession/non-attachment (includes attachment to dogmatic ideas as well as people, places, things

Cosmology

The most fundamental existential problem shared by all beings in the cosmos, is the fact that jiva and ajiva are thoroughly enmeshed: -this is what prevents the soul from achieving a state of bliss, for bliss can be experienced only in a state of purity and separation from all that is not soul -all of cosmos comprised of one of two forms 1.)jiva (soul with consciousness) 2.)ajiva (non-soul without consciousness)

Sikhism

The youngest of India's indigenous religions, Sikhism emerged in the Punjab approximately 5 centuries ago. the religious environment of the 15th century Punjab was suffused with the thought of the North Indian Sants

Sallekhana

the fast to death -this celebrated death is accepted voluntarily and with equanimity -not that uncommon (even householders will perform this at the end of life -highly advantageous to the soul journeying forward: a powerful ejector of karmic residue -souls free of karma are not reborn but ascend to the realm of liberation

Langar

this egalitarianism is a particular important aspect of a distinct Sikh identity (neither Hindu nor Muslim)

Congregational worship: Langar

vegetarian meal for all after service