Jainism: An Introduction

by Jeffery D. Long

Jainism evokes images of monks wearing face-masks to protect insects and mico-organisms from being inhaled. Or of Jains sweeping the ground in front of them to ensure that living creatures are not inadvertently crushed: a practice of non-violence so radical as to defy easy comprehension. Yet for all its apparent exoticism, Jainism is still little understood in the West. What is this mysterious philosophy which originated in the 6th century BCE, whose absolute requirement is vegetarianism, and which now commands a following of four million adherents both in its native India and diaspora communities across the globe? In his welcome new treatment of the Jain religion, Long makes an ancient tradition fully intelligible to the modern reader. Plunging back more than two and a half millennia, to the plains of northern India and the life of a prince who--much like the Buddha--gave up a life of luxury to pursue enlightenment, Long traces the history of the Jain community from founding sage Mahavira to the present day. He explores asceticism, worship, the life of the Jain layperson, relations between Jainism and other Indic traditions, the Jain philosophy of relativity, and the implications of Jain ideals for the contemporary world. The book presents Jainism in a way that is authentic and engaging to specialists and non-specialists alike.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Nonfiction, India, History, Spirituality

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Kesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned quite a lot about Jainism through this book. A really interesting religion in India. I didn't expect to see so many parallels with Buddhism. I want to read it again in the future. I had to rush a bit reading because of a presentation. I highly recommend.

[Aashish Rathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An accessible introduction to the Jain history, religion and philosophy. The author situates the community within the larger milieu of Indic traditions and exposits the unique and exemplary achievement of the community in areas of logic and ethics and potential applications in a defensible formulation of religious tolerance and pluralism(more a call to do so with some prior instances). The book could use some editing, clearing up some unnecessary duplication and some roundabout argumentation. The book concludes with some great references for further exploration of the topics.

[Himali Kothari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helped me gain clarity into the principles of a religion I was born into but knew little of... Wish the writing had been cleaner and simpler.

[Anmol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting overview of Jaina history, philosophy, and practice. Highly recommended to anyone seeking a short overview of Jainism. The 2 chapters on the Jaina theory of relativity, or multi-faceted truth (Anekāntavāda) especially are very well-written and make a brilliant overview on traditional literature on that topic. The book also contrasts Jaina thought with Advaita Vedanta and Bauddha-dharma, while being respectful of all of them. The result is a highly nuanced and respectable take which seeks to justify rather than denigrate its object of study.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and found a lot to appreciate about Jainism - its commitment to abstain from harming living beings and its multi-faceted view of reality and truth. The author provides a fabulous introduction but gets a little too down in the weeds with non-absolutism (hilariously translated as "the maybe doctrine").

[Tedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did use it as a textbook in Dr. Long's class, but I find it to be an excellent resource and a coherent work when attempting to learn about the culture.

[Mikey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work was serviceable, although a little too overwhelming to be considered appropriate as an introductory text. I liked that Long took a respectful approach in which he tried to include as many differing views as possible when describing something as vast as a major religion. However, it's written in a dense manner that assumes you are already familiar with academic discussions pertaining to world religions and philosophy. I would have personally preferred something that goes into the belief system itself as much as possible and delves into the realities of what it's like to be an adherent to this faith. Instead this book is more like part history, part analytical dissection. It looks into specific aspects of Jainism such as their ideas around relativity or their policies around not doing harm and delves into how their views form a logically cohesive framework and how elements of that framework can be incorporated into anyone's system of thought. It was okay and was certainly informative, but doesn't present the more generalized and truly introductory material most people are probably hoping for.

[izabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

honesly a really well written, comprehensive, and accessible yet detailed introduction to such a beautiful philosophy. Jainism is one of my absolute favourites, and this introduction i think would be a great place to start for anyone, it is easy to read but doesnt skimp on the actual meaty arguments and philosophical concepts included in jainism. i audibly exclaimed 'oh my god' when he resolved one of my worries about this theory because i cant say ive ever seen a theory so internally coherent before. just great stuff.

[Rajeev Lalwani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jainism grows on you through Jeff’s narrative

Although, at first dwelling into Vedic traditions and Hinduism irritated me as I wanted Jeff to talk about Jainism - I later realized how important it was to bring an integrated view and build the setting in which Jainism (or at least as we know it now) from 5/6th Century would come up. Great starter - will only increase your thirst for more...

[Amlux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Close to a 4, just could have used a bit more discussion about the everyday of a Jain's religious practice (which is rare for me to say, I normally want more about the history of development and philosophy and this book has it in spades).

[Samrudha Surana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book certainly makes for a great introduction to Jainism, and I think is well suited for western audiences. The discussion around anekantavada was a little difficult to follow. Minor parts of the book are repetitive.

[Tynan Brooks]

A neat introduction to a religion I knew little about; it's self-admittedly written from a position that emphasizes certain parts of Jain doctrine above others, but I admire the honesty of admitting it.

[Eleanors Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a good primer on the extraordinary religion of Jainism. It is a religion that puts compassion front and center unlike most every other religion. This is a good book for a person who wants to learn about this topic.

[Josué Vega · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for learning the basics of jain religion.

[Delia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another 200 page academic book that should have been a 10 page article.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't find it as approachable as it could have been but it beats the pants off of everything I've seen on YouTube or as a podcast

[Will Rodriguez]

Accessible and interesting introduction to Jainism for casual readers.

[Arminion · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about Jainism before, but I never knew anything substantial about it, so I decided to read a book about it and this one seemed like a good choice. In the end, the book wasn't bad. I definitely found out a lot about the religion, but I was also completely lost in the last few chapters when the author is discussing Jain philosophy. Even after re-reading some passages I still had no clue what I've read. The book wasn't an easy read, but I don't know if this is author's fault of my lack of comprehension. Possibly both.
I was also disappointed that only a few sentences near the end are dedicated to Jain cosmology which is something I was most interested about.
All in all, I don't know if this book will convert anyone to Jainism. It was informative and little dry, but not bad.

[Alex Laycock · Rating 3 out of 5]

the Author seemed to me to go the wiggly-waggly way to get to the point by which point i had got a bit lost following him...if i was to re read it (i might) i would do so with a highlighter marker pen to make the important information stick out from the camouflage of unnecessary observations.i am afraid to say i skipped some paragraphs that seemed to go on and on un necessarily

[Parshva · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay this one is difficult to rate. it is a great introduction - history, philosophy, practices, etc. However, focusses too much on "anekantavada" in the second half. Should have had a dive deep into practices and lifestyle today which would be far more interesting to learn about because most Jains do not really bother with different interpretations of non-absolutism.

[Chuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Max Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction.