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The universe

Jain beliefs about the universe

Jains believe that the universe we perceive really exists and is not an illusion. It contains two classes of thing: jivas - living souls, and ajivas - non-living objects, which include everything else, including space.

Nothing in the universe is ever destroyed or created, they simply change from one form to another.

Jains believe that the universe has always existed and will always exist. It is regulated by cosmic laws and kept going by its own energy processes. This concept of the universe is compatible with modern scientific thinking.

Jains do not believe that the universe was created by any sort of god.

The Jain word that comes closest to the western idea of the universe is "loka".

The loka is the framework of the universe. It contains the world we experience at the moment, as well as the worlds of heaven and hell.

The loka exists in space. Space is infinite, the universe is not.

The nature of the universe

The Jain universe is in five parts:

• The supreme abode:
  • The region where liberated beings live for ever.
• The upper world:
  • the region where celestial beings live, but not for ever
• The middle world:
  • the region where human beings live
  • this is the only part of the universe from which a being can achieve enlightenment
• The lower world:
  • this region consists of seven hells where beings are tormented by demons and by each other
  • their torment does not last for ever
• The base
  • the region where the lowest forms of life live

Time

Jains regard historical time as cyclical. The universe moves through lengthy eras of time which Jains usually describe as like the series of downward and upward movements of a point on the rim of a turning wheel.

The downward movement is called avarsarpini and the upward movement is called utsarpini. Each full turn of the wheel is called a kalpa.

Each cycle is divided into 6 ages, represented by spokes. The first three spokes of a downward cycle are a golden age after which conditions decline until Jainism dies out in the 6th spoke. This is reversed in the following upward cycle, and so on.

Each full turn of the wheel takes a very long time: effectively an infinity - long enough for the lives of 24 tirthankaras.

Substances (Dravyas)

Substances: astikaya

Jains believe that everything falls into one of five or six categories of substance that are called astikaya.

All forms of substance except space are confined within the loka (universe).

The categories of substance are:

Jiva

The closest English word to jiva is 'soul'. The soul is:

• eternal and conscious
• made of some form of energy
• without physical form
• able to be 'embodied'. An embodied jiva is given a form using things from the other four or five categories. A jiva adapts its size to fill whatever body it is in.
• when pure, omniscient and totally blissful

Dharma

Dharma is the medium of motion:

• the substrate for souls/jivas and atoms whose natural state is motion

Adharma

Adharma is the medium of non-motion:

• the substrate for souls/jivas and atoms whose natural state is rest

Pudgala

Pudgala is matter:

• the source of physical matter i.e. those things which can be touched, tasted, seen and/or smelled
• pudgala is what gives the jiva/soul the experience of pleasure and pain, birth and death
• the karma particles which stick to the jiva/soul are made out of pudgala

Akasa

Akasa is space:

• the place in which the 'things' above function
• it extends beyond the loka - i.e. beyond the boundaries of the universe

Kala

Kala is the substance of time.

• Not all Jains include this category as a substance

The last 4 or 5 groups are ajiva or "non-soul", and have no consciousness. Together they provide the physical structure for a jiva/soul to operate in the universe.

The universe changes because of the interactions between the categories.

Find out more

• Jainism - God