A Comparison of Buddhism and Jainism

Buddhism over Jainism

Hinduism offers little hope for salvation. Although salvation is possible in Hinduism, the margin for error is so small, that it is almost impossible to ever be released from the wheel and achieve moksha. With that in mind the hunt for a new religion begins. The two options laid before me are Jainism and Buddhism. Both religions will be compared and a the better of the two religion will prevail. Although both religions have many followers, it is necessary when confronting an issue as large and expansive as religion beliefs to go into grave detail when examining and comparing the available options. Jainism and Buddhism both have many great aspects that make each religion a worthy candidate. Although both religions have great aspects, one religion is clearly the winner in my heart. For many factors that will be discussed later, Buddhism is my new choice for spiritualism.

Hinduism offers little hope to its followers. It is based on a rigid caste classification system of which people are born into. The caste system offers little to no upward mobility and an even smaller amount of hope for the people to ascent through the caste system. Hinduism relies heavily upon its traditions and rituals as a means of worship and salvation. These duties and places in the caste system are described in detail in the law of Manu. The Law of Manu is more explicit concerning the duties of the four varna. It specifies particular occupations for each of the four social groups, which are seen as being divinely ordained. For the growth of the worlds, (Brahman) created Brahmanas (Brahmins or priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (traders) and Shudras (manual workers) from his face, arms, thighs, and feet respectively(Hopfe, 84). These caste assignments are non-negotiable and are engraved in the fabric of Indian culture. If a person leads an exemplary life in their given section of the caste system, the best that person has to look forward to is to be re-incarnated into a higher section of the caste system. That very rarely happens, if ever. With that in mind the search for a new religion begins.

Both of the religions have great qualities that make up a desirable religion. Both Jainism and Buddhism rejected the sacrifice system taught in the Vedas. Both taught that one achieved release from life not by offering sacrifices to the gods or by any form of worship but through accomplishments in ones own life. Both rejected the Vedas as sacred scripture, and both taught that anyone of any caste who lived properly might find release.(Hopfe, 87) Both Jainism and Buddhism taught that all forms of life were sacred and were to be loved and preserved whenever possible (ahisma). This belief contradicted the ritualistic sacrifices to the gods of Hinduism. The most important aspect in the transition from Hinduism to either Jainism or Buddhism is the belief that salvation and release is not achieved from ritualistic practices or other forms of worship, it is achieved through personal accomplishment and hard work and dedication. Anyone who lived a good moral life and who was focused and dedicated could achieve moksha, the release from re-incarnation, regardless of caste position. Jainism and Buddhism offer hope for members of the lower castes. This is a reason for the increased popularity and the easily spread word of Buddhism and Jainism. Both religions have great aspects. The foundations of practice of the two religions are very different.

Jainism is is a religion born out of suffrage. Jainism taught that one found release from life through asceticism. The more one denied pleasures and satisfactions to the body, the more likely that person was to achieve freedom from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth.(Hopfe, 87) Jainists believe the body is evil and to deny the body to the realm of pleasure is the primary means for salvation. This is the most important aspect of Jainism and consequently, the most prominent aspect of Jainism that led me to Buddhism.

The foundation for Jainism is extreme asceticism. To deny the body of all pleasures is looked upon as a means for salvation. Asceticism for me is not a means for salvation. It was tried by Siddhartha Gautama and did not yield any benefit. The trials of Gautama will be discussed later. My own conclusion is asceticism hurts the body without yielding any spiritual benefits. Without the right frame of mind, it can be seen as just a way of torturing the body. Asceticism is not a means of salvation. It is a slow and painful way to die.

The perfect life for a Jain might be to do nothing all day long while depriving the body of all pleasure. All living beings owe their present form of existence to their own Karma; timid, wicked, suffering latent misery, they err about (in the circle of births), subject to birth, old age and death.(Hopfe, 117) Jainists believe like most other South east Asian religions that karma is the source of re-incarnation. The way to increase a chance for moksha was to decrease the negative karma. Doing as little as possible, leads to little margin for error, which in turn leads to little negative karma. Thus, the ideal life for a Jain might simply be to do as little as possible and thereby escape karma and be freed from life.(Hopfe, 117)

Jainism has some great religious beliefs attributed to the religion. Ahisma is very important in my mind. Another belief that is held dear to my heart is the belief that anyone can achieve salvation, regardless of class or caste. A universal salvation can be achieved. A negative side of Jainism is the practice of asceticism which is so deeply entrenched in the inner workings of Jainism that it is hard for me to look past the asceticism to the lighter aspects of the religion. Buddhism is the means for salvation for me. One reason in which Buddhism appeals to me more than Jainism is, Siddhartha Gautama tried asceticism. For all intents and purposes, he was practicing an early form of Jainism. Gautama joined five other monks and with them began a life of severe asceticism that lasted six years. The ascetic measures Gautama took were as severe as any recorded in the history of religion. According to legend, he became something of a champion ascetic.(Hopfe, 128) Gautama tortured himself for six years. His body became very frail and brittle. His health was in jeopardy. According to legend, he was so frail, he went to take a drink from the river and due to his weakened physical state, passed out face down in the river. The cold water revived him and revived his state of awareness and from that point on, Gautama was no longer an ascetic. He tried it for six years and didnt find the path to enlightenment or a release from the wheel of birth and re-birth. After he put asceticism behind him, he meditated for a period of weeks under a Bo tree until he was enlightened. Jainism believes in asceticism as a means of salvation. It did not work for Gautama. The simple fact that the asceticism associated with Jainism did not yield salvation for Gautama is enough for me to disagree with the whole notion of asceticism.

Shortly after his Awakening, the Buddha ("the Awakened One") delivered his first sermon, in which he laid out the essential framework upon which all his later teachings were based. This framework consists of the Four Noble Truths, four fundamental principles of nature (Dhamma) that emerged from the Buddha's honest and penetrating assessment of the human condition and that serve to define the entire scope of Buddhist practice. These truths are not statements of belief. Rather, they are categories by which we can frame our direct experience in a way that is conducive to Awakening (http://www.accesstoinsight.org) Buddha has given instructions of how to live a good life to his followers. He asks that these truths are not beliefs. Beliefs come and go. These truths are categories in which one can receive salvation. A pathway to be freed from the wheel.

All Buddhists believe in the four noble truths. The Four Noble Truths: The truth of Dukkha (suffering, unsatisfactoriness, discontent, stress); The truth of arising of Dukkha (the cause of this dissatisfaction is craving (tanha) for sensuality, for states of becoming, and states of no becoming); The truth of the cessation of Dukkha (the relinquishment of that craving); The truth of the path which leads to the cessation of Dukkha.(Lester,25) This is a great system of beliefs. Human beings are miserable and unsatisfactory due to stress and other suffering. The cause for this dissatisfaction is craving (Tanha). We as human beings can relinquish the craving. Buddha even gives us guidelines, a path, to lead us to the cessation of all dissatisfaction in life. The eightfold path. All Buddhists believe in the four noble truths and the eightfold path.

Although fundamentally, both types of Buddhism are the same, there are differences in ways of salvation and rituals performed by the two schools of thought: Therevada (teaching of elders) also known as the lesser vehicle and Mahayana (The Great Vehicle). In the Greater vehicle, Mahayana, Buddhists not only look for salvation inward, but also get help to stop Dukkha. The practice of Yoga is one example. One contrast from Therevada and Mahayana Buddhism is In contrast to the teachings of early Buddhism and those of the Theravada school, the Mahayanists began to teach that the Buddha was really a compassionate, eternal, and almost divine begin who came to earth in the form of a man because he loved humankind and wished to be of assistance.(Hopfe,136) This belief that Buddha was more than a man, even a demi-god is, in my opinion, contrary to Buddhas early teachings. He taught that he was just a man. And his new religion is not anything more than a pathway to find enlightenment but that every man could find enlightenment just as he did. This belief of Gautama as more than a man is clearly contradictory to his earlier work. Theravada Buddhism is the religion of choice for this scenario. It is the older, more conservative Buddhism. Its teaching are very straightforward. Look for salvation though meditation. The teaching of the Buddha according to this school is very plain. He asks us to abstain from all kinds of evil, to accumulate all that is good and to purify our mind.(www.buddhanet.net/twoschs.htm)

P eople must find enlightenment for themselves, without relying on anything else. That is the fundamental basis for Theravada Buddhism. We admit that in different countries there are differences with regard to the life of Buddhist monks, popular Buddhist beliefs and practices, rites and ceremonies, customs and habits. These external forms and expressions should not be confused with the essential teachings of the Buddha.(Rahula,1138) Although the external forms and expressions of Mahayana Buddhism are acceptable, it might be easy for one to confuse the rituals with the religion.

Hinduism offers the common people no hope of moksha. Asceticism as proven through Gautamas six year effort, does not lead to moksha. The divisions between Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism are subtle but noticeable in my mind. The religion of choice for all of its positive aspects and limited negative aspects is Theravada Buddhism. It is the more conservative Buddhism that is founded on obtaining salvation through meditation and personal experiences rather than relying on others and rituals to help you obtain salvation. This is the closest to Buddhas early teachings.