Jainism: A Guide for the Perplexed

ISBN-13: 9781441165947 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 176 str.

Sherry Fohr

Opis

Jainism is arguably the most non-violent and austere religion in the world. While lay Jains attempt to never harm humans or animals, the strict non-violence followed by the highly revered monks and nuns also proscribes harm to any living being, even a microscopic organism. And while laywomen (and a few laymen) undergo long and difficult fasts, the longest being for one month, renouncers' austerities also include pulling their hair out by the roots two to five times a year, walking bare-foot throughout India most of the year, and, in the case of some monks, not wearing any clothing at all. Jainism: A Guide for the Perplexed is a clear and thorough account of this fascinating tradition, explaining many basic Jain values, beliefs and practices in the same way they are taught to Jains themselves, through the medium of sacred narratives. Drawing from Jainism's copious and influential narrative tradition, the author explores the inner-logic of how renouncers' and laypeople's values and practices depend on an intricate Jain worldview.

Recenzje

Jains have long learned the principles and history of Jainism through narratives. Stories are at the heart of the sermons that mendicants regularly deliver to laypeople. Mothers and grand-mothers recount narratives to young Jains. In the home of most Jains are one or more bookshelves full of volumes of edifying tales. Sherry Fohr has followed this time-honored example, and provided an accessible introduction to the Jain tradition through narratives. The reader will encounter memorable characters and memorable tales, and in the process come to see why Jainism has been one of the world's enduring religious systems that has provided insights to generations of seekers for three-thousand years. John E. Cort, Professor of Asian and Comparative Religions & Chair, Department of Religion, Denison University, USA

Spis treści

Introduction: Religious, Historical, and Social Contexts 1. Worldview, Karma, and Ethics 2. Why Jainism Survives: Jain Sects and Sub-sects Chapter 3. Exemplars for Monks: The Twenty-Four Re-Founders (Jinas) of Jainism Chapter 4. Exemplars for Nuns and Laywomen: Virtuous Women Chapter 5. Exemplars for Laymen: the Kings and Gods Chapter 6. Rituals, Festivals, and Devotional Worship Glossary Websites Bibliography Index

O autorze

Sherry Fohr is Associate Professor of Asian Religions and Chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Converse College, South Carolina, USA.