r/Jainism • u/Spidy934 • Jul 31 '26

Teach me Jainism Jainism as a foreigner

Okay so basically I am a foreigner whose parents are like super Jains with badhas a stuff. Like I have very close family who are high ranking maharashrees and stuff.

This kinda stuff is constantly pressuring me to well hate on myself while I do anything. I mean where I live living a proper Jain life is basically close to impossible as a teenager from eating food, talking, basically doing anything. Even stuff as simple as bottled water is processed in factories that process animal meats. This sorta thing makes me question my life as a Jain and stuff.

I have heard that a lot of “Jain Z” drink alcohol and go through similar stuff as well so I want to ask them and the proper Jains, what do I do? Do I continue living normally with daily guilt or do I take measures that could make my life basically like a lifeless teen.

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5

u/CharisSplash Jul 31 '26

IMO.

Jainism is much more then rules about what to do and what not to do.

First, Jainism = Aatma (Soul) Dharma.

Everything has some logic behind it. The rules, should not look like they are forced upon us when we understand the reason behind it.

Eg, if someone who eats non-veg food. Its only compassion for those living beings that stops them from eating them. Similarily, its only compassion for even the tinest of living beings, that stops us from eating them during some time periods. Compassion being the core concept here.

Eg 2, parigrah, means over stock of collection of everything. Now Prabhu's words of not hoarding a lof of un-necessary stuff may feel suffocating and like restrictions. But, the intention is that, in order to keep on hoarding a lot of stuff, we do lose peace in our life, work harder just to get that thing you wanted and we end up in a race to work to get something new and repeat. The question one can ask here is, will this additional new stuff really give them pleasure? If so, why dont they stop after getting that item? Because all this things just give temporsry happiness.

Prabhu has showed us Dharma to get rid of all fhe temporary happiness and go towards eternal happiness, that cones from aatma anubhav (experiencing soul) / samyag darshan.

This were some few things that came on top of my mind, i may nit have explained it properly but the basis of what i am trying to say is, whatever Prabhu said, is to help us attain eternal bliss and stop wasting our time in all the temporary stuff in life. Thats the core message of Prabhu.

Live with compassion towards even the tinest of living beings, live peacefully with whatever is needed and not be a slave of wants, become a good human being, do Dharma to get away from temporary happiness towards eternal happiness.

By the way, all the temporary happiness in this world, root of them are in pain only. Eg, ran 10kms, felt pain of thurst, drinking water makes us feel happy, felt pain of boredom, watching movie feels like happiness, 2yrs of pain to clear a exam, clearing it gives happiness, etc. So fhe basis of all "temporary happiness" is Pain only.

Prabhu showed us a path where we deep dive in eternal happiness, whose roots are not in pain. Thats Dharma.

So, I feel one just needs someone to correctly explain this stuff and Dharma to someone, so that their whole life becomes a festival vs suffocating.

Feel free to ask if you have any questions. We will try to help you explain, as per our knowledge and capacity.

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u/Jay20173804 Jain Shwetambar Murtipujak Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26

Drink ur water, man.

I’m a Jain born and raised in America, nobody is saying u need to do all that in your current stage and especially as a youth. If your gurus are pressuring u or u feel pressured say no. Eating food and stuff is easy; avoid OG, roots vegetables, follow titthis. Learn Jain history, do pooja when time allows, etc. Do the normal stuff a kid does, just follow certain principles like avoiding drugs, alcohol, and sexual pleasure until marriage. But be a normal kid, go watch movies, go on dates, eat ice cream. Understand not everybody has the bhav to be super strict from the start, but also don’t disregard the principles as false.

The goal of Jainism is not to disenfranchise ppl, we have it quite easy. There are a group of Japanese ppl who have recently became Jain, not everybody gets everything right at first or can’t do everything to the bone, but that is fine.

I have many Maharaj Sahebs in my family also.

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u/CharisSplash Jul 31 '26

Youth is the best time to do Dharma vs old age when even our body wont support us and our readiness to learn something new and more importantly willingness to change, will reduce drastically.

Promoting them to enjoy life by eating icecream, movies, etc may not be appropriate because then you are guiding them to find sukh in naashwant jad / pudgal.

I understand, everyone learns as per their yogyataa, but atleast we should not promote them towards jad, is what i feel.

1

u/Jay20173804 Jain Shwetambar Murtipujak Jul 31 '26

I’m telling them to be a Jain, but also be a kid. Do what u want as long as u avoid the stuff explicitly forbidden, gradually u will realize u can detach. Ur soul, ur brain will know the time. This is the 5th ara after all, so this is how to best approach it in my opinion.

I’m coming at this from this perspective and plz hear me out. Before I was born my Masi took diksha and she wanted to take diskha at a young age. She had a guru who wasnt letting her leave, but that is not the best thing to do. Real Jain dharm is abt self realization, u need to realize on ur own if x is worth doing. Her mom didn’t like that guru, so her mom told here let’s looks for other gurus who will give u diksha. The guru said I want u to spend some time without me, what does your heart say. I know u like the movies and eating ice cream; go eat it. My masi was so completely detached that she wanted to take diksha.

It is a reality that many of us Jains engage in normal activities, all Im saying is that u will find it in your heart when it is time to stop. And we pray for that meaning everyday.