Jainism is that, which is propounded by the Jin bhagwan.

Jin is one, who has conquered Raag (Moha & Lobha) and Dwesh (Krodh & Maan). They have eradicated all karmas with tapa, have attained keval gyaan & keval darshan and have no reason to lie. With their Keval Gyaan and Keval Darshan, they can see and know the past, present and the future of all Jiva(s) and the Ajeev(s). Their discourses, discussions, responses to queries is what constitutes Jain scriptures called Agam’s. They are the source of all Jain philosophy.

The core philosophy of Jainisim is consisting of these 6 truths or “Pad”.

1.Their is a Soul

Soul is also called Atma, Jeev or the living form. It is a distinct entity from the non-living. All living beings have a soul. You, me, all humans, all plants and animals, even the earth, water, fire and air bodied forms have a soul. Each living form has one soul. Each soul has uncountable (asankhyath) atmapradesh. The soul is aroopi, it does not have form or shape and it is not perceptible to the sense organs. It does not have the qualities that can be perceived by the senses like varna (colour), gandh (smell), ras (taste) and sparsh (touch). It’s presence is percieved and known by the omniscient with their Keval Gyaan and Keval Darshan. The universe is filled with infinite such souls.

2.The Soul is Eternal

The soul always existed, exists and shall exist. It is Shashwath. Jain philosophy differs from the other belief systems in the concept of origin of the universe. The universe is eternal, without a beginning and without an end. It always existed, exists and shall exist. The soul transmigrates into various forms depending on the accumulated karmas and their fruitition, but doesn’t cease to exist. There are 4 main gatis/realms – Narak (hell), Tiryanch (plants & animals), Manushya (humans) and Dev (heavenly) into which a soul transmigrates. What we call as death is not the death of the soul. It is merely a transition of the soul from one body to another, when it is done with its quantum of time in that body form. For example, a soul currently in the human form, on completion of its ayush karma (a subtype of Karma which decides the longevity in a particular body) shall leave the human body (which we call as death) and start a new life in the form of say a spider, lion, hellish being, seed, water body, vegetable, heavenly body etc. As long as it is bound with karmas, this journey of transmigration continues. Out of the 4 main gatis/realms, there are 24 punishment cells (dandakas) and 84 lakh possible yonis (places of birth) where a soul bound with karma can take birth. When a soul is completely detached of all karmas, this transmigration stops and the soul is free, and goes to the topmost end of the lok called Siddhalok. It doesn’t have to take any more births. But see, it doesn’t cease to exist. It is eternal and immortal.

3.The Soul is the Doer

As per Jain philosophy, whatever happens to us or any living being is not because of luck or some random events or because of someone else’s actions or due to any external events. It’s due to the fruitition of ones own accumulated karmas. Karmas or karman pudgals are non-living super fine substances which are not perceptible to the sense organs. These karman particles fill the whole Lok. When a soul vibrates, due to the activities of mind, speech or body (the three Yog), these karman particles are attracted and they bind with the soul’s atmapradesh. Jeev has been bound with such karman particles from anaadi (without beginning) time and continues to bind them incessantly due to its activities of mind, speech and body. Only a Jeev without Yog, like the ayogi Kevali and the liberated Siddhas do not vibrate and thus attract no karmas. Knowingly or unknowingly, with the activities of the mind, speech and body a soul attracts karmas and thus is the doer.

4.The soul is the Sufferer

Karmas fruitify and bear results, be it good or bad. The soul is pure and has certain innate characteristics like infinite knowledge or Keval Gyaan, infinite perception or Keval Darshan, infinite uninstructed bliss or Avyabhat Sukh, infinite potential or Virya. These qualities are subdued or expressed in lesser forms due to the presence of and the modifications with resultant damage done by the binding karmas.

Their are 8 main types of karmas depending on the effects that they cause on the soul.

1. Gnanya varniya karma (k) blocks the soul’s capacity to know things “as they are”- the truth.
2. Darshan varniya k blocks soul’s capacity to perceive and believe in truth.
3. Mohaniya k doesn’t allow the soul to act or behave true to itself. Disbelief, anger, pride, deceit, greed are expressions of these damaging karmas.
4. Antaraya k limits the ability of the soul to give (daana) or receive (laabha).
5. Vedaniya k clouds a soul’s true happiness and thus the resultant pain, suffering, disease, unease etc.
6. Gotra k affects the soul’s social strata in that life form.
7. Naam k decides the type of body and its associated paraphernalia that a jeeva would inhabitate. Why someone is a good singer and other an athlete is decided by it.
8. Ayush k decides the quantum or span of time that a jeev has to spend in that particular life/dandak.

So, due to the karmas, a jeev cannot enjoy the souls potentials to the fullest and hence suffers.

5.There is Liberation (Moksh)

A soul is eternal and has been bound with and continues to bind karmas with resultant fruits since anaadi time. Jain philosophy says that this doesn’t have to continue and one can stop this cycle of birth and death and suffering. Jeev binds karmas, karmas inturn cause jeev to suffer. So, to stop it, we need to free the jeev from karmas and this is possible and is called as Moksh or liberation (from the karmas). So, a jeev who has annihilated all the karmas is said to be liberated and free and called a Siddha. Such free jeev travels to the end of the lok called Siddhalok and stays there permanently in the soul’s purest state of infinite gyaan, darshan, bliss, virya and without further transmigration(s).