RE103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Jain Monasticism, Ganges, Ajiva
Document Summary
Re103: lesson 6: the jain tradition and the ideal. Jain tradition so they d not become attached to a particular person or community. Mahavira embraced non-violence to any living being; even plants and. When sramanas (renouncers) were gathering in the ganges river valley they were disgruntled with some aspects of the vedic tradition they are wanderers microorganisms when he was a fetus he never kicked his mother. Renouncing all worldly possessions is the goal for jain monastics includes. On the other hand, self-deprivation was considered beneficial in the journey towards self-realization (called levela in jain tradition) emotions, believed to distract the partitioner from shedding their karmic baggage and moving closer to kevela. Karmic particles (matter/ajiva) are attracted to jiva. It is only through continuous renunction that kiva is able to maintain its place at the top of the universe. This state is kevela (self-realization) whereby the soul is liberated from matter.
