Articles

Philosophy In Jain Agams: Ātma Mīmāṃsā – Soul is One

In Indian wisdom tradition, only those aphorisms of Vedic Saṃhitas like Puruṣasūkta, Nāsadīyasūkta etc. were considered philosophical, which discussed 'consciousness'. In Greek philosophy, though there were thinkers like Thales, Anaximander etc. before Socrates, who pondered over the fundamental constituents of universe, however, the commencement of Greek philosophical history is deemed to have started from the time of Socrates, because for the very first time he turned the philosophical thinking from matter to soul by saying 'know thyself.Thus, in both eastern and western philosophies, the concept of 'consciousness'(ātmā) was significant in the field of philosophy.

Who am I?

Divine vibrations permeate the entire universe with the arrival of Paryushan. Every year, we celebrate Paryushan by observing rituals and austerities, but every ritual is a means to an end, not the end itself.

Soul Substance (jīva dravya): As Expounded in Dravyasamgraha

Soul substance (jīva dravya) is ubiquitous but unseen. Driving force within each one of us, it has been, since time immemorial, a subject matter of research by philosophers, religious leaders and laity. Still, ambiguity and misconceptions prevail as regard its real nature.

Letter of Six Steps: Fundamental Truths

Shri Lalluji Maharaj being sick in Surat requested Shrimadji for Samadhi Maran. In reply, Shrimadji wrote the famous letter of six fundamental truths, and inspired Lalluji Maharaj not to fear death.

Consciousness: Quantum and Jainism

The concept of awareness as defined above is related to indirect cognition, particularly perceptual cognition, of Jainism. The mind establishes contact with the external world through senses. The sense signals are communicated to brain and than contact are made with mind.

Meaning of Soul In Different Religions

Message from the Publisher

Jai Jinendra: On the third anniversary of JAIN AVENUE magazine, I wish to thank the JAINA India Foundation (JIF) team headed by Dr. Bipin Doshi as the mentor, Dr. Sejal Shah as the editor, Dr. Arihant Jain as the Assistant editor, and Rajvi Shah as the office manager for shepherding the JAIN AVENUE magazine through its formative years and putting it on the progressive path.

You don’t need milk for Calcium!

Our day is incomplete without dairy in all its forms, be it milk for your porridge, curd for lunch, cheese and paneer in almost everything they can fit in and yet the cases of falls, fractures and osteoporosis is more than ever before. Our dairy industry has done a swell job in convincing people that dairy is the best source of calcium which is so important for our skeletal structure. But let me burst this bubble for you. This is far from the truth. There is no denying that milk and other dairy products contain a high amount of calcium, but only 30% of this is actually absorbed.

Paryushan Parva

WHAT IS PARYUSHAN? Paryushan means it is a time for opening the lock of the heart and cleaning of the dirt (karma) which is collected on the soul. - Namra Muni Paryushan - the celebration of spiritual awareness - is the most important annual festival of Jain religion. Pari + upshamana + upshamana means to suppress, to suppress our passions (kashayas— anger, ego, deceit and greed) from all directions. The festival lasts eight days. It is stated in Jain scriptures that the start of Paryushan should not be less than one month and twenty days after the start of the rainy season. Every year Paryushan starts on about the Shravan Vad 12th or 13th and ends on Bhadarva sud 4th or 5th (late August -- September). During these eight days, all Jains Endeavour to exercise self-discipline and do penance to purify their souls to the best of their individual capacities.

Silence – The Journey Within

What is Meditation? It is a very easy and simple kriya, as our nature is Meditative. Meditation is to experience our own self. Till now, all the experiences were of the outside world, and little was known about our own self. Now it was the time to experience self, to discover the light within.

JAINA Convention 2023

JAINA, an acronym for the Federation of Jain Association in North America, was established in 1981 due to the efforts of visionary leaders like Gurudev Chitrabhanuji and Sushil Muniji. Gurudev Chitrabhanu, who arrived in the USA in 1970 with the aim of spreading Bhagwan Mahavir's message of non-violence (Ahimsa), resonated with Westerners, attracting them to the philosophy of universal friendship and reverence for all life. In those days adhering to a seemingly straightforward principle like vegetarianism in America presented its challenges. For Jains this was compounded by the absence of centers, temples, or communal spaces. Jains struggled to assemble and form a community. The founders’ vision was to create JAINA as a platform that stands as a solitary federation uniting Jains across various sects and sub sects, with focus only on Bhagwan Mahavir’s teachings.

Team of Jain Avenue