Jain geography
All about Jainism and Jain Cosmology.
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Introduction
The universe for Jains is an elaborate system. Jain cosmology is very distinctive, although it shares some features with other Indian religious traditions. It is centred on the everlasting and non-originating nature of the universe, and thus excludes the notion of a creator-god. As written by a leading monastic figure from the 12th century, ‘the universe having the shape of a man standing with arms akimbo, with feet apart, filled with substances continuously being created, preserved and destroyed, has never been produced by anyone and is not sustained by anyone either. It exists by itself, without any support’.[1] Although Jains do not worship a creator-god, deities do exist, as mediators between the perfected souls of the Jinas and the imperfect world of human experience, and are a part of the Jain cosmology.
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Structure of the Jain Universe
The Jains distinguish two types of space. The first is the world space (loka-ākāśa), which is a vast but limited area where all souls live in the different body-forms they take according to their rebirths in the various worlds. The second is the non-world space (aloka-ākāśa), which is endless. The Jain universe is perfectly structured and ordered. One of its governing principles is symmetry and repetition, so that ‘to know one part is to know the whole’. It can be viewed as ‘a self-replicating composite’ with, for example, a northern region the exact replica of its southern counterpart, halves being identical, etc. The Jain universe is thought of in terms of dimensions and quantities of units. Jain thinkers have produced a vast vocabulary to describe and understand units of time and space, going from the smallest to the largest, beyond what can be imagined. The smallest unit is the atom. Infinite combinations of atoms make up the smallest unit of measurement. At the other extreme, Jains have devised a refined analysis of extremely large numbers, considering the numerable, the innumerable and the infinite. Jain cosmology gives an important place to mathematical concepts and calculations, so that mathematical treatises written by the Jains may take their illustrative examples from cosmological contexts. Śvetāmbaras and Digambaras agree on the structure of the universe and its elements but differ on many names and numbers.
Grasping Jain cosmology is vital to understanding the Jain religion. The soul is an innately pure substance. But, due to embodiment and activity, good or bad, it accumulates karma, which in the Jain understanding means physical matter. This alters the purity of the soul and generates cycles of rebirths within the universe until this finally ends. Rebirth can take one of the following four forms of destiny (gati): 1. as a human (manuṣya); 2. as an inhabitant of the hells (naraka); 3. as a deity (deva); or 4. as an animal or plant (tiryag). Spiritual progression requires an understanding of these cosmological theories. Contemplating the universe is also included within the system of reflection-topics (anuprekṣā).
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Jambudweep
This topic can not be logically or physically proven. It can only be understood on the base of Aagam Vani. You may not be able to beleive it if you think it from modern view as it exists right now. This has to be taken on faith to understand and the main foundation of its understanding is Kevalgyan.
Two vertical lines are Tras Nadi where Tras Jeev live. This is in the middle with 13 Raju height. Not covering 1 Raju at the top. Every structure we understand or is described is contained within Tras Nadi. Everything outside is only 1 sensory Jeev called Sthavar Jeev.
Middle part is Madhya Lok. Middle Earth. 5 Meru parvat in the middle. Sudarshan Meru/Sumeru is the basis of differentiation of 3 Lok. Madhyalok height is defined by Sumeru Parvat. Below it is Adholok. Above it is Urdhvalok.
Physical Dimensions:
Bottom – 7 Raju
Middle – 1 Raju
Up Middle – 5 Raju
Top – 1 Raju
Depth – 7 Raju
Height – 14 Raju
Volume 343 Raju^3
Scale:
Raju/Rajju is a measurement unit.
1 Raju = Infinite Yojan
1 Yojan = 2000 Kos
1 Kos = 2 Miles
1 Mile = 1.64 Km
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Strange Facts
In front of Jain Geography, the principles and discoveries of our science and space become false, because in Jain Geography, the house is considered as a divine plane, whatever nature the house has, that plane will also be of that type, and in the same way in Jain Geography The sun is considered as the plane of heat and the moon as the plane of coolness and an interesting fact about it is that in Jain geography there are two suns and two moons. According to Jainism, man can never go to the Moon or any other planet! Yes, you are listening right, I know that it sounds very different, but it is not a matter that these things are only heard somewhere, this principle is also a reality in Puranas and the map you are seeing above is also Jambudweep. It is from Another special thing in this is that in the middle of Jambudweep, there is Mount Meru, at some distance of which all the things of this universe are present, and according to this, we humans can never reach this sacred plane and all the other things, there is also a solid proof of this. There is a reason which I will tell you later. Yes, I know you will definitely be shocked to hear all this, but it is true and there is also one thing that Jain geography is very different and unique from our modern space science, but I will tell you further in the rest of the information.
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Who created our Universe according to Jainism
No, as per Jainism Universe is eternal. It's neither created nor shall it ever collapse.
Now to the question, i.e. what led to the creation (read structure) of the universe ?
To keep things simple, we will just concentrate on the middle world where we humans live as it will help us better understand the structure and operations of the universe on the foundations of our current knowledge on the subject.
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What is outside of the Universe
Well, that would define how you describe the universe as.
As per Jainism, the universe consists of broadly two regions viz Lokakash and Alokakash
1st region Lokakash is the region that consists of all things made of a material that exhibits the property of Fusion (Pud) and Fission (Gal) which we call matter today. Its this region of the universe that hosts our planet and all other alien habitable planets that support intelligent lifeforms, along with higher and lower planes where demigods and hellish beings reside.
