According to Jain doctrine, the universe and its constituents—soul, matter, space, time, and principles of motion—have always existed. Jainism does not support belief in a creator deity. All the constituents and actions are governed by universal natural laws. It is not possible to create matter out of nothing and hence the sum total of matter in the universe remains the same (similar to law of conservation of mass). Jain texts claim that the universe consists of jiva (life force or souls) and ajiva (lifeless objects). The soul of each living being is unique and uncreated and has existed during beginningless time.Nayanar (2005b), p.190, Gāthā 10.310
The Jain theory of causation holds that a cause and its effect are always identical in nature and hence a conscious and immaterial entity like God cannot create a material entity like the universe. Furthermore, according to the Jain concept of divinity, any soul who destroys its karmas and desires achieves liberation (nirvana). A soul who destroys all its passions and desires has no desire to interfere in the working of the universe. Moral rewards and sufferings are not the work of a divine being, but a result of an innate moral order in the cosmos: a self-regulating mechanism whereby the individual reaps the fruits of their own actions through the workings of the karmas.
Through the ages, Jain philosophers have rejected and opposed the concept of any omnipotent creator god, and this has resulted in Jainism being labeled as nastika darsana, or an atheist philosophy by the rival religious philosophies. The theme of non-creationism and absence of omnipotent God and divine grace runs strongly in all the philosophical dimensions of Jainism, including its cosmology, karma, moksa and its moral code of conduct. Jainism asserts that a religious and virtuous life is possible without the idea of a creator god.
Jaina conception of the Universe
Jain scriptures reject God as the creator of the universe. Jainism offers an elaborate cosmology, including heavenly beings/devas. These heavenly beings are not viewed as creators, they are subject to suffering and change like all other living beings, and must eventually die. If godliness is defined as the state of having freed one's soul from karmas and the attainment of enlightenment/Nirvana and a god as one who exists in such a state, then those who have achieved such a state can be termed gods/Tirthankara. Thus, Mahavira was a god/Tirthankara.
According to Jains, this loka or universe is an entity, always existing in varying forms with no beginning or end. Jain texts describe the shape of the universe as similar to a man standing with legs apart and arms resting on his waist. Thus, the universe is narrow at the top, widens above the middle, narrows towards the middle, and once again becomes broad at the bottom.Gopani (1989), Gāthā 4.103–6
Wheel of time
According to Jainism, time is beginningless and eternal. The cosmic wheel of time rotates ceaselessly.Schubring, Walther (1995), pp. 204–246 This cyclic nature eliminates the need for a creator, destroyer or external deity to maintain the universe.
The wheel of time is divided into two half-rotations, Utsarpiṇī or ascending time cycle and Avasarpiṇī, the descending time cycle, occurring continuously after each other. Utsarpiṇī is a period of progressive prosperity and happiness where the time spans and ages are at an increasing scale, while Avsarpiṇī is a period of increasing sorrow and immorality.Jaini (1998)
Concept of reality This universe is made up of what Jainas call the six dravyas or substances classified as follows – Jīva – The living substances
Ajīva – Non-Living Substances Pudgala or Matter – Matter is solid, liquid, gas, energy, fine karmic materials and extra-fine matter or ultimate particles. Paramānu or ultimate particles are the basic building block of matter. One quality of paramānu and pudgala is permanence and indestructibility. It combines and changes its modes but its qualities remain the same. According to Jainism, it cannot be created nor destroyed. Dharma-tattva or Medium of Motion and Adharma-tattva or Medium of Rest – Also known as Dharmāstikāya and Adharmāstikāya, they are distinct to Jain thought depicting motion and rest. They pervade the entire universe. Dharma-tattva and Adharma-tattva are by itself not motion or rest but mediate motion and rest in other bodies. Without dharmāstikāya motion is impossible and without adharmāstikāya rest is impossible in the Universe. Ākāśa or Space – Space is a substance that accommodates living souls, matter, the principles of motion and rest, and time. It is all-pervading, infinite and made of infinite space-points. Kāla or Time – Time is a real entity according to Jainism and all activities, changes or modifications are achieved only in time. Time is like a wheel with twelve spokes divided into descending and ascending: half with six stages of immense durations, each estimated at billions of "ocean years" (sagaropama).James (1969) p. 45 In each descending stage, sorrow increases and at each ascending stage, happiness and bliss increase.
These uncreated constituents of the universe impart dynamics upon the universe by interacting with each other. These constituents behave according to natural laws without interference from external entities. Dharma or true religion according to Jainism is vatthu sahāvo dhammo translated as "the intrinsic nature of a substance is its true dharma."
Material cause and effect According to Jainism, causes are of two types – Upādanā kārana (substantial or material cause) and Nimitta kārana (instrumental cause). Upādanā kārana is always identical with its effect.Nayanar (2005b), p.107 For example, out of clay, you can only produce a clay pot; hence the clay is the upādanā kārana or material cause and the clay pot its effect. Wherever the effect is present, the cause is present and vice versa. The effect is always present in latent form in the material cause. For transforming the clay to a pot, the potter, the wheel, the stick and other operating agents are required that are merely nimitta or instrumental causes or catalysts in transformation. The material cause always remains the clay. Hence the cause and effect are always entirely identical in nature. A potter cannot be the material cause of the pot. If this were the case, then the potter might as well prepare the pot without any clay. But this is not so. Thus a clay pot can only be made from clay; gold ornaments can be made only from gold. Similarly, the different modes of existence of a soul are a result of activities of the soul itself. There cannot be any contradiction or exceptions.
In such a scenario, Jains argue that the material cause of a living soul with cetana (conscious entity) is always the soul itself and the cause of dead inert matter (non-cetana i.e. without any consciousness) is always the matter itself.Nayanar (2005b), p. 189, Gāthā 10.308–9 If God is indeed the creator, then this is an impossible predication as the same cause will be responsible for two contradictory effects of cetana (life) and acetana (matter).Nayanar (2005b), p. 73, Gāthā 2.85 This logically precludes an immaterial God (a conscious entity) from creating this universe, which is made up of material substances.
The soul
According to Jainism, one of the qualities of the soul is complete lordship of its own destiny.Nayanar (2005a), Gatha 27 The soul alone chooses its actions and the soul alone reaps its consequences. No god or prophet or angel can interfere in the actions or the destiny of the soul. It is the soul alone who makes the necessary efforts to achieve liberation without any divine grace.Nayanar (2005a), Gāthā 29Ācārya Amrtacandra Sūri, Laghutattvasphota, Sūtra 156
Jains frequently assert that “we are alone” in this world. Amongst the Twelve Contemplations (anupreksas) of Jains, one is the loneliness of one's soul and nature of the universe and transmigration. Hence only by cleansing our soul by our own actions can we help ourselves.Vallely (1980), p.182
Jainism thus lays a strong emphasis on the efforts and the free will of the soul to achieve the desired goal of liberation.
Jaina conception of divinity
According to Jainism, gods can be categorized into Tīrthankaras, arihants or ordinary kevalins and siddhas. Jainism considers the devīs and devas to be celestial beings who dwell in heavens owing to meritorious deeds in their past lives.
Arihants Arihants, also known as kevalins, are "gods" (supreme souls) in embodied states who ultimately become siddhas, or liberated souls, at the time of their nirvana. An arihant is a soul who has destroyed all passions, is totally unattached and without any desire and hence has destroyed the four ghātiyā karmas and attained Kevala jñāna, or omniscience. Such a soul still has a body and four aghātiyā karmas. An arhata, at the end of his lifespan, destroys his remaining aghātiyā karma and becomes a siddha.
Tīrthankaras Tīrthankaras (also known as Jinas) are arihants who are teachers and revivers of the Jain philosophy. There are 24 Tīrthankaras in each time cycle; Mahāvīra was the 24th and last Tīrthankara of the current time cycle. Tīrthankaras are literally the ford makers who have shown the way to cross the ocean of rebirth and transmigration and hence have become a focus of reverence and worship amongst Jains. However it would be a mistake to regard the Tīrthankaras as gods analogous to the gods of the Hindu pantheon despite the superficial resemblances in Jain and Hindu way of worship.Thrower (1980), p.93 Tīrthankaras, like arhatas, ultimately become siddhas on liberation. Tīrthankaras, being liberated, are beyond any kind of transactions with the rest of the universe. They are not the beings who exercise any sort of creative activity or who have the capacity or ability to intervene in answers to prayers.
Siddhas
Ultimately, all arihants and Tīrthankaras become siddhas. A siddha is a soul who is permanently liberated from the transmigratory cycle of birth and death. Such a soul, having realized its true self, is free from all the karmas and embodiment. They are formless and dwell in Siddhashila (the realm of the liberated beings) at the apex of the universe in infinite bliss, infinite perception, infinite knowledge and infinite energy. Siddhahood is the ultimate goal of all souls.
Jains pray to these passionless gods not for any favours or rewards but rather pray to the qualities of the god with the objective of destroying the karmas and achieving godhood. This is best understood by the term – vandetadgunalabhdhaye i.e. we pray to the attributes of such gods to acquire such attributes”.Nayanar (2005b), p.35 Gāthā 1.29
Heavenly beings – Demi-gods and demi-goddesses
Jainism describes the existence of śāsanadevatās and śāsanadevīs, the attendant gods and goddesses of Tīrthankaras, who create the samavasarana or the divine preaching assembly of a Tīrthankara.
Worship of such gods is considered as mithyātva or wrong belief leading to bondage of karmas.
Nature of karmas According to Robert Zydendos, karma in Jainism can be considered a kind of system of laws, but natural rather than moral laws. In Jainism, actions that carry moral significance are considered to cause certain consequences in just the same way as, for instance, physical actions that do not carry any special moral significance. When one holds an apple in one's hand and then let go of the apple, the apple will fall: this is only natural. There is no judge, and no moral judgment involved, since this is a mechanical consequence of the physical action.Zydenbos (2006)