Jains and the Jina: Exploring the Digambara Attitude

ABSTRACT Jainism stands out as trans‐theist for its unusual approach toward the belief in God’s existence. According to Jainism, there is no interventionist almighty entity that created the universe and there is no destroyer to punish the evils of the world. Indeed, the supreme entity central to Jainism, the Jina, has overcome any desire to interfere, create, or destroy. In a world where different religious and philosophical traditions offer a variety of deities providing worldly support and ontological grounding, Jainism took a different stance, which entailed a redefinition of the act of worship and what makes an entity worthy of such worship (i.e., non‐attachment ( vītarāgatā ), omniscience ( sarvajñatā ) and being a promulgator of the right path ( hitopadeśitā )), and resulted in a radically different view of the universe. The three virtues, being the basis of several further texts, turn out to be the foundation of the worshipper‐worshipped relationship in Jainism stating the sole purpose of worshipping being able to attain the three virtues. “Jina” is a specific term for the one who has won over his senses, ideally over the desires to be fulfilled through his senses. It is differentiated with the term “God” who is a heavenly being in Jainism. Jainism stresses the idea that any and every living being can attain a pure state like a Jina. It means that Jina has not been in the almighty state since eternity, he strived hard to achieve it, and that anyone who follows the same path can also become Jina. Interestingly, there is not only one Jina, but there have been infinite Jina‐s and there will be infinite more in the future. This article discusses the essential attributes of a Jina determined by the gradual elimination of delusion ( moha ) which causes eternal bliss, and the eradication of knowledge‐obscuring karma ( jñānāvaraṇīya ) which causes omniscience. The article explores the synonyms of Jina in Jainism, like āpta , arahanta , and tīrthaṁkara , and establishes his role in the operation of the “automated” world as, according to Jainism, the world is not created, is automated, and functions on its own, yet the culture of temples and worshipping Jina, scriptures, and the ascetics is prominent in Jainism. Limiting its scope to the Digambar tradition, the article focuses on the nature of the Jina, the term from which the Jains derive their name.