The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-12 00:00:00

THI. JAINAS.

r
[From the Asiatic Journal.]
The Jainas constitute a sect e Hindoos, differing in
some important tenets from the Iffihminical, bat follow-
ing in other respects similar practices. The essential cha-
racter of Ilindoo institutions is the distribution of the peo-
ple into four great tribes. The Jainas admit the same di-
vision into four tribes, Brahmins, Khetries, Vaisya', and
fludras, and perform like ceremonies, from the birth of a
male until his merrier. They observe similar fasts, and
practise still more strictly the received maxims of refrain-
ing from injury to any. sentient being. They appear to
recognise as subordinate deities some, if not all, the gods
of the prevailing sect ; but do not worship in particular
the five principal gods of these sects, nor address prayers,
nor perform sacrifices to the sun or fire. They differ, also,
from the Brahminical Ilindeos, in assign* the highest
place to certain deified saints, who, according to their
creed, have successively become superior gods. Another
doctrine, in which they materially disagree with the ortho- ,
Joe lUndoos, is the rejection of the Vedas, the divine 1
authority of which they deny. In this particular the
Jahn* agree with the Buddhists, or Sangatas, who equally
sieny the divine authority of the Vedas, and who, in a
similar manner, worship certain pre-eininent saints, ad-
mitting likewise, as subordinate deities, the whole pan-
theou of the orthodox Ilindoos. The two sects (the
slairsaa and the Buddhists) differ in regard to the history of
the personages whom they have deified : and hence it may
be concluded that they had distinct founders, but the ori-
ginal notion seems to have been the same : all agree in the
belief of transmigration. Jaina priests usually wear a
broom adapted to sweep insects out of the way, lest they
should tread on the minutest being. In Hindustan, the
"finesse usually called Syauraa, but distinguish them-
selves inip Sravecas (Shrawuks) and Tads, er..Jaify and,
clergy.' The foNowity is a brief account of them
:A. The The derivation of the name Jaina or Joints, is de-
rived float the word jinn (ji, to conquer). He who has
overcome the eight great crimes, is celled jinn. These
dimes are, eating at night ; slaying an animal; eating the
duit of those trees that give milk • tasting honey or flesh ;
taking the wealth of others ; taking by force a married
woman ; eating flowers, butter, cheese ; and worshipping
the gods of other religions.
$. THEIR Oetcrte—This sect is said to owe its rise to
ittshubhuadevu, a Hindoo ; and of whom it is related,
be became incarnate thirteen Clint,. After him,
twenty-two persons are mentioned, as the successive leaders
of the sect. 'rise last of the Jaina yogees was Muha-vecrte.
who is said to have been Incarnate twenty-seven times.
This yogee had many disciples, and amongst the most dis-
tinguished was Goutuinu-Sweince, for whom he had a par-.
titular award, and whom he sent, on the day of his absorp-
tion (death), to the residence I)evu-surintnu, lest his tided
shorn be too much affected. Sevent-en of his disciples
obtained deliverance from the body at the same hour with
their master.
•3. Ttlilli DOCTRINE.-11 is difficult to give a system
which will apply to the whole sect, among whom various
ghrtiod
ioes prevail. A number of Jainas come near to the
oz Hindoos They acknowledge something of a
~
y, yet deny a Creator, and reverence in a limited sense
uloo deities. They retain the ten ceremonies connected
with progress through life up to marriage. They n:arry
Itie the Hindoos—burn their dead, but oL4rve no
Araddhu. Strict Jainas are constrained to a lite of men-
4eity. The thief Jainas were glcomy ascetics, assuming
the rights of deity, and denying the authority, of God.
They say, that the earth is formed by nature, that is, by
inherent properties existing in itself ; that spirit is found in
tilo condmiona„ emancipated and enclosed by matter ; that
but one Spirit is individuated through the whole universe
of animated existenoe(althoeigh Chervvaka, a Jaina leader,
denied the existence of spirit altogether)—that all human
affairs are regulated by religion, and irreligion, i. e. by
weeks of merit and demerit ; that religion naturally purifies
said immortaiiies its possessor, and that irreligion defiles,
degrades, and ruins men ; that the future births of men
ate regulated by present actions ; that works of merit
villl raise a person to one of the twelve heavens ; that for
eight aides beyond the highest heaven all is darkners ; that
below this heaven is a heaven, in which all who obtain
*chastity happiness remain, and is 36,000,000 miles
lbw• at the inhabitants of this world occupy !Ma
clads; of thine regions; that below are five miler heavens,
oesupied by ascetics somewhat less pure than the former ;
that lower still are twelve heavens, one below the other ;
diet the earth is next hung in air ; beneath, water ; and
:;till lower, darkness. Persons sinning in the above-named
liestiens, become moo or animals, and sink into a region of
ttinirselfa • while ethers wend from the cattle and occupy
eliadecoucles, or places of repose in heaven.
It. Tam Du Tit.s.—The Jaina bathes in the morning,
,rtes his ger:bent and mat to purify them, repeats prayers
us pawns possessing the five qualities of Urihuuta iiiddhu,-
Ariaryu, etopedllyaya and Sadhoo ; makes an address to
wisdom, religious light, excellent conduct, and devotion ;
eeeffts round a Jaina temple three times ; bows, and prays
td the: iidage of a Jaina yogee, carved in a sitting post aro ;
goer to his ipiritual guide, and makes his vows to him for
the day.; solicits alms at a certain number of houses, for
the food of the day ; returning, he mutters inamtations, to
remove the sins committed in killing insects, by treading on,
than unwittingly as he passed through the streets ; eats
.;
prep egain to the persons designated as above ; continues
esletitnesrly all the day ' • at its close again repeats incanta-
tion*, &e' Many otherdndesMust be passed over, as too
nemcrous to introduce here. The person who, by prac-
tising the duties of the Jaina religion, renders himself
worthy of the woralti of Indru and the other geode; who
delivers himself from chains of the world, obtaining com-
p de emancipation troth matter, becomes a proper otelect of
worship to afl creatures. Passing by the festivals, &c. of,
this sost, we have only roote.to add, that at the time of •'
Jiiina sdendic.ant's last 'kittens, a disciple repeats a certain'
;stay& to him; sod rehearses the praises of the Jaime men-1
dirafty: lifter bar dealt with bit body are burnt the brush,
with whlik he swept the rood Or his seat, that he iniest
net destroy animal life, Ilsstaff, his beggar's 'bag, and a
limp of wheated pees.
There mite five sects of Jalnu, but the difference belie*
Aeolis tailing. The Digumburus, who wear ea clothes;
the 'feru-punt-hect, die Dhoorlyas, the Loonies, Anti the
DesikUses.