Life & Death
1. Life as a journey.
2. Rites of passageCeremonies which celebrate transitions e.g. birth, adolescence, marriage and death, birth, adolescence, marriage
3. Death as the final rite – meaning and purpose
4. Comparisons of death with other faiths
5. Response of faith to life & death issues
6. Understanding commitment through rites.
Death is a comma, not a full stop. Life and living is the key to immortality - there should be no fear of death but instead an active attempt to seek liberation and salvation through right living and right conduct. The ceremony of death is performed collectively and the body is crematedTo be burned rather than buried on death within a few hours of death and not preserved any longer than absolutely necessary. The focus of prayer and funeral rites is on a peaceful afterlife and a prayer for ultimate liberation.
Family and community come close together to support the bereaved at this unfortunate moment. It is a duty for close family members to do this. The philosophy encourages detachment and therefore makes it easier for people to accept death of close relatives or friends as they are seen as independent souls on their journey to eventual liberation. However, the practicalities of closeness and attachment are also respected and people are allowed to express their emotions at this difficult time.
As it is the soul which transmigrates, the cremation of the body is seen as natural and environment friendly. Burial is seen as unnecessary as the body is now pure matter and devoid of any life.
Websites
http://faithandthearts.com/?s=Jain
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/jainism/ - BBC Religions Site and links to broadcasts about Jainism
http://www.bl.uk - British Library website. Library has a good collection of Jain Manuscripts.
http://www.faithandthearts.com - Essay on Jain Art
http://www.jainheritagecentres.com
http://www.jainworld.com www.jainsamaj.org
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/asia/asia_features/jainism/index.html - Victoria & Albert Museum Site which has good collection of Jain Art
http://www.youngjains.org.uk - Young Jains' website
Bibliography
Banks, M., 1992. Organising Jainism in India and England. Oxford, OUP.
Cort, J.E., 2001. Jains in the World - Ideology and Religious Values in India. n.l.: n.s.
Dundas, P., 2002. The Jains. London: Routledge.
Granoff, P., 1998. The Forest of Thieves - An anthology of medieval Jain stories. n.l.: n.s.
Jain, M., 2005. Jain Food - Compassionate and Healthy Eating. USA: n.s.
Jaini, P., 1998. The Jaina Path of Purification. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
Pal, P., 1994. Peaceful Liberators - Jain Art from India. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Rankin, A., 2006. The Jain Path - Ancient Wisdom for the West. n.l.: O Books.
Sangave, V., 1980. Jaina Community. Bombay: n.s.
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