An Interview with Anand Jain

February, 2023 by Interviewer - Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Abstract

An interview with Anand Jain. He discusses elaboration on the About (2015); God’s in an eternal universe (with souls) subject to the law of Karma; human beings able to reincarnate as God’s themselves; an atheistic element to Jainism; purpose of prayer; uniting part of Jainism among Jains; Jain view of wellbeing; and long-term plans of the Jain Centre of British Columbia.

Keywords: Anand Jain, British Columbia, Founder, Jain, Preserver, Sustainer.

An Interview with Anand Jain: Founder, and “Preserver and Sustainer,” Jain Centre of British Columbia

Question – Does this leave the possibility for human beings to reincarnate as God’s themselves?

Answer – Good question, actually, Alexander the Great came to India he saw some of the Jain monks sitting on dried bark, and basking in the Sun. And they were naked. He went to the emissaries and said, “Go to them and tell them I will give them lots of wealth.” The monks said to the emissaries, “Go to your leader and tell them, it’s okay, go back and say we don’t need it.” Alexander the Great was surprised thinking, “Who are these people?”

He came and had an audience with the head man, and the man’s aid, “Look, you have done a lot of cruel things. You have looted and killed a lot of people. Your end is near. I can see it on your forehead.” Alexander said, “I beg you to give us one of your saints that I can bring to Athens.” He brought one of the saints, and he passed away, and the saint told his minister, “Take his hands outside of the coffin so that people can see and that you cannot take anything with you. You go empty-handed. His footprints were still there.”

They learn from India.

In Jainism, there is no such word as INCARNATION. Yes, there is a word called transmigration; and once a soul is born as human, he has to work hard on the Jain ethics to attain Godhood.

Again, this entity is not the creator, sustainer and destroyer; but simply attainer of Salvation, thus ceasing the cycle of birth, old-age and death.

Question – What most unites Jains?

Answer – The vegetarianism, worship of the Tirthankars, reverence for all kinds of lives and a serene, peaceful, honest, and sincere lifestyle in daily business life.

Question – Jains believe in concern for the health and welfare, or the wellbeing, of the universe, have emphasis on “three jewels”: right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct, have belief in reincarnation, ground themselves in self-help or destitution of assistance from the God’s – or God – for human beings, believe in souls for animals, plants, and human beings, believe in the need for consideration of equal compassion, respect, and value for these souls, and aim for the elimination of Karma.  How does wellbeing of the universe, self-help devoid of the God’s or God’s assistance, existence of the soul in everything, its reincarnation in novel forms, and ethical requisite for compassion, respect, and value for the souls themselves, interrelate in this Jain conception of the biosphere, human beings, and their mutual interrelationship with the universe?

Answer – All that said points to respect for the environment. Jainism has taught to be frugal in using water; carefully and cautiously excavating and tilling land; not even moving your body in the air without any reason. All it means limiting harm to the environment.

Question – In the foundational metaphysics of Jainism, five ideas form its base, namely: “souls (jiva), matter (pudgala), motion (dharma), rest (adharma), space (akasa), and time (kala).” Matter and souls separate in a dualistic philosophy, complete division between them, and a total denial of one God sovereign over all in the operations of the world: its creation, operation, or dissolution. Finite God’s exist with subjection to the law of Karma. The universe, or the world, remains eternal too. How are God’s in an eternal universe (with souls) subject to the law of Karma?

Answer – The foundational metaphysics of Jainism simply states how the universe works and there is no creator, sustainer and destroyer. The natural forces enumerated here propel the world, there is no other force behind it. Even present-day modern science concurs with Jainism’s contentions. Hence, we call Jainism a Scientific Religion.

Since Jainism has no notion of God, the word God does not come into question; therefore, there is no question of human beings incarnating as Gods.

Acknowledgement: https://in-sightpublishing.com/2016/08/01/an-interview-with-anand-jain-part-four/

Numbering: Issue 11.A, Idea: Outliers & Outsiders (Part Seven), Web Domain: http://www.in-sightjournal.com

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