Jainism

Harm nothing; hold nothing too tightly.

All 108 concepts

• Ahimsa Paramo Dharma — Non-violence is the highest religious duty - the supreme principle of Jain ethics.
• Violence in Thought — Even violent thoughts harm the soul; ahimsa begins in the mind.
• Violence in Speech — Harsh, cruel, or hurtful words constitute violence and should be avoided.
• Protection of All Life — All living beings, from the smallest organism to the largest, deserve protection.
• Vegetarianism as Ahimsa — Avoiding meat consumption is a fundamental expression of non-violence.
• Compassion for All Beings — Ahimsa is rooted in universal compassion that sees all souls as equal.
• Non-Violence Toward Self — Harming oneself through extreme practices or self-hatred violates ahimsa.
• Minimal Harm in Daily Life — Since some harm is unavoidable, the goal is to minimize it as much as possible.
• Pratikramana - Asking Forgiveness — Regularly seeking forgiveness for any harm caused, intentional or unintentional.
• Environmental Ahimsa — Protecting the natural environment is an extension of non-violence toward all life.
• Parasparopagraho Jivanam — All life is bound together by mutual support - interdependence of all beings.
• Anuvrata - Minor Vows for Laypeople — Laypeople practice modified ahimsa vows suited to householder life.
• Mahavrata - Great Vows for Monastics — Monks and nuns practice complete non-violence through five great vows.
• Ahimsa as Liberation Path — Complete non-violence leads to freedom from karma and ultimate liberation.
• Satya - Truthfulness — Speaking truth as sacred duty, second of the five great vows.
• Anekantavada - Many-Sidedness — Truth is multifaceted; no single view captures complete reality.
• Syadvada - Conditional Predication — Every statement about reality should be qualified by 'perhaps' or 'from one perspective'.
• Nayavada - Standpoint Theory — Different perspectives (nayas) reveal different aspects of truth.
• The Blind Men and the Elephant — The famous parable illustrating how partial perspectives lead to incomplete truth.
• Truth and Non-Violence — Truth must be balanced with non-violence; harmful truth requires skillful expression.
• Avoiding False Speech — Lying, exaggeration, and deception all violate the vow of truth.
• Beneficial Speech — True speech should also be beneficial, contributing to the wellbeing of others.
• Living Truthfully — Truth extends beyond speech to living authentically and honestly.
• Intellectual Humility — Recognizing the limits of one's knowledge is essential to truthfulness.
• Tolerance from Truth — Understanding truth's multifaceted nature leads to tolerance of different views.
• Truth in Business — Commercial dealings must be conducted with complete honesty.
• Self-Truth — Being honest with oneself about one's spiritual state and motivations.
• Asteya - Non-Stealing — The third great vow: not taking what is not freely given.
• Mental Theft — Coveting others' possessions is mental stealing that binds karma.
• Subtle Forms of Theft — Using anything beyond genuine need can be considered a form of stealing.
• Honest Acquisition — All possessions should be acquired through honest, fair means.
• Accepting Only What is Needed — Taking more than one genuinely needs is a form of stealing from others.
• Respecting Community Resources — Shared resources should be used responsibly and not exploited.
• Intellectual Property — Claiming others' ideas or work as one's own is a form of theft.
• Time Theft — Wasting others' time or not fulfilling time commitments is stealing.
• Generosity as Antidote — Cultivating generosity overcomes the tendency to steal or hoard.
• Environmental Theft — Depleting natural resources beyond sustainable levels steals from future generations.
• Fair Trade and Commerce — Business dealings must be conducted with fair prices and honest measures.
• Contentment Prevents Theft — Being content with what one has removes the motivation to steal.
• Returning What is Found — Finding something does not make it yours; make effort to return it.
• Brahmacharya - Chastity — The fourth great vow: sexual restraint leading to spiritual purity.
• Monastic Celibacy — Complete abstinence from all sexual activity for monks and nuns.
• Lay Brahmacharya — For householders, brahmacharya means marital fidelity and moderation.
• Control of Senses — Brahmacharya involves disciplining all senses, not just sexuality.
• Mental Purity — True brahmacharya requires purity of thought, not just action.
• Redirecting Sexual Energy — Vital energy conserved through brahmacharya is redirected toward spiritual goals.
• Avoiding Occasions of Temptation — Wise practitioners avoid situations that might stimulate desire.
• Respectful Relations — Brahmacharya includes treating all beings with respect, not as objects of desire.
• Brahmacharya and Karma — Sexual attachment creates some of the strongest karmic bonds.
• Gradual Practice — Brahmacharya is developed gradually through progressive stages of restraint.
• Women's Spiritual Equality — Women are equally capable of spiritual advancement and liberation.
• Pure Intention in Relationships — All relationships should be based on spiritual benefit rather than selfish desire.
• Overcoming Attachment — The ultimate goal is freedom from all attachment, sexual and otherwise.
• Aparigraha - Non-Possessiveness — The fifth great vow: limiting possessions and attachment to material things.
• Monastic Non-Possession — Jain monks and nuns own virtually nothing, depending entirely on alms.
• Limiting Possessions — Laypeople practice aparigraha by setting limits on what they accumulate.
• Detachment from Wealth — Even while having possessions, one should not be attached to them.
• Charity and Giving — Sharing wealth with others is a practice of aparigraha for laypeople.
• Environmental Implications — Non-possessiveness leads to sustainable, minimal consumption.
• Freedom from Hoarding — Accumulating beyond need creates anxiety and spiritual burden.
• Non-Attachment to Ideas — Aparigraha extends to not clinging to opinions and viewpoints.
• Non-Attachment to Relationships — While loving others, one shouldn't cling possessively to relationships.
• Non-Attachment to Body — Even attachment to one's own body creates karmic bondage.
• Contentment (Santosh) — Being satisfied with what one has naturally supports non-possessiveness.
• Preparing for Death — Aparigraha prepares one for death by practicing letting go in life.
• Wealth as Trust — Whatever wealth one has should be seen as held in trust for beneficial use.
• Karma as Subtle Matter — In Jainism, karma is actual subtle matter that adheres to the soul.
• Asrava - Karmic Influx — Activities of mind, speech, and body cause karmic matter to flow into the soul.
• Bandha - Karmic Bondage — Karma binds to the soul based on the intensity and type of passion involved.
• Samvara - Stopping Karmic Influx — Through right conduct, one can stop new karma from entering the soul.
• Nirjara - Shedding Karma — Through austerity and spiritual practice, bound karma can be eliminated.
• Eight Types of Karma — Karma is classified into eight types based on what aspect of the soul it obscures.
• Ghati and Aghati Karma — Destructive karmas prevent liberation; non-destructive ones affect only worldly conditions.
• Karma and Free Will — Despite karma's influence, beings have the freedom to work toward liberation.
• Karma's Precision — Karma operates with mathematical precision, each action producing proportionate results.
• Collective Karma — Groups and communities also accumulate karma through collective actions.
• Instant and Delayed Karma — Some karma produces immediate results; other karma remains dormant for lifetimes.
• The Soul's Natural Purity — The soul is inherently pure; karma only temporarily obscures its nature.
• Karma and Rebirth — Accumulated karma determines the circumstances of one's next birth.
• Beyond Karma — The liberated soul exists in a state completely free from all karma.
• Moksha - Liberation — The ultimate goal of Jain practice: complete freedom from the cycle of rebirth.
• Right Faith, Knowledge, and Conduct — The three jewels (ratnatraya) are the path to liberation.
• The Fourteen Stages (Gunasthanas) — The soul progresses through fourteen stages on the path to liberation.
• The Siddha State — The liberated soul (siddha) exists in perfect, eternal, unchanging bliss.
• Omniscience (Kevala Jnana) — Before physical death, the liberated soul attains complete omniscience.
• The Tirthankara — Exceptional souls who achieve liberation and teach the path to others.
• Self-Reliance in Liberation — Each soul must achieve its own liberation; no external savior can grant it.
• Universal Potential — Every soul has the potential to achieve liberation, regardless of current state.
• No Return — Once liberated, the soul never returns to the cycle of rebirth.
• Sallekhanā - Fasting unto Death — The voluntary, gradual reduction of food and drink at life's end.
• Meditation (Dhyana) — Focused meditation is essential for achieving higher spiritual states.
• The Liberation of All — The ultimate hope is that all souls will eventually achieve liberation.
• Living as Though Liberated — Practice living with the detachment and equanimity of a liberated being.
• Grace of the Tirthankaras — The teachings of Tirthankaras are the greatest blessing for those seeking liberation.
• Samayika - Meditation Practice — Regular practice of meditation for at least 48 minutes daily.
• Pratikramana - Confession and Repentance — Regular practice of reviewing and repenting for harmful actions.
• Namokar Mantra — The most important Jain mantra, honoring the five supreme beings.
• Temple Worship (Puja) — Ritual worship at Jain temples honoring the Tirthankaras.
• Fasting (Upavasa) — Regular fasting as spiritual discipline and karma reduction.
• Dana - Giving — Charitable giving as essential practice, especially supporting monastics.
• Study (Swadhyaya) — Regular study of scriptures and spiritual texts.
• Carefulness (Samiti) — Practicing careful movement, speech, and action to minimize harm.
• Guptis - Self-Restraint — Restraint of body, speech, and mind from harmful activity.
• Paryushana - Annual Festival — The most important Jain festival, focused on confession, fasting, and renewal.
• Kshamavani - Day of Forgiveness — Annual practice of seeking and granting universal forgiveness.
• Relationship with Monastics — Laypeople support and learn from monks and nuns as spiritual guides.
• Ahimsa in Food Preparation — Careful practices in cooking and eating to minimize harm to beings.
• Integration of Practice — All Jain practices work together to purify the soul and lead to liberation.

Essays on Jainism

• What Jainism says about ahimsa and non-violence — Nine Jain concepts on ahimsa: harm in thought and speech, the wide circle of life, and the daily work of minimising it.
• What Jainism says about compassion and forgiveness — How Jain teaching handles compassion and forgiveness, including the daily review and the annual day of asking pardon.
• What Jainism says about giving and service — Jain teaching on giving: dana, wealth held in trust, taking only what you need, and why hoarding is treated as a burden.
• What Jainism says about forgiveness — Ten Jain concepts on forgiveness — Kshamavani, Micchami Dukkadam, daily pratikramana, and why Jainism treats a grudge as violence you already committed.
• What Jainism says about doubt — Ten Jain concepts on doubt — anekantavada, syadvada's 'syat', the elephant parable, and the omniscience claim that cuts against all of them.
• What Jainism says about illness and the body failing — Ten Jain concepts on illness and dying — the body as garment, aghati karma, a prayer that asks for nothing, and the contested practice of sallekhana.