Jainism
Jainism originates in India and is one of the world’s oldest religions. Today, about 4 million people in India practice Jainism. There are also Jain communities in the USA, UK, and other countries around the world.
Jains follow the principles of:
- Ahimsa: non-violence and respect for all life.
- Aparigraha: non-possession and non-attachment. No worldly wealth accumulation, emotional attachments, or material accumulation. Lay Jains try to minimise their possessions, not hoard their wealth and reduce emotional attachments. Jain monks and nuns have no possessions.
- Anekantavada: Everyone’s reality and truth are different. There is no one truth. Truth in any situation or relationship has many sides and is seldom absolute. Reality is complicated and needs to be explored from different viewpoints. Respect for each other’s viewpoint is the way.
Jains achieve spiritual freedom through personal calmness and self-effort. They promote peace, friendship, equality, and compassion. Strive to improve the quality of life, improve animal welfare, and protect the environment.
Jainism’s key values are:
- Live and help to live
- Love to all living beings
- Live with human responsibilities
- Non-attachment to wealth, power, position, possessions, and living beings
Jain Network
The Jain Network was founded by the late Dr Natubhai Shah MBE. It was launched on the 9th March 2007. Under Natubhai’s visionary leadership, the network has grown to become one of the key Jain organisations in the UK. Our mission is to improve the spiritual, physical, and quality of life for the Jain community.