Jainism – The ancient religion of respect and compassion (Tuesday, April 2, 2013)

With its roots in ancient India, Jainism is one of the world’s oldest known religions. It is also the most non-violent religion in the world. The BBC writes, “The essence of Jainism is concern for the welfare of every being in the universe and for the health of the universe itself.”

Philosopher Troy Bowles will share his insight on this open-minded and compassionate faith.

“They go to amazing lengths to avoid any living thing, even micro-organisms,” Troy says about followers of Jainism. “The monks and nuns are particularly extraordinary in their dedication to the principle of ‘ahimsa,’ which literally means non-harming. Some Jains are so devout in this principle that they won’t even pick fruit from a tree. They wait until it falls because if the tree isn’t ready to drop the fruit on it’s own, picking the fruit would do violence to the tree. Every other principle of their religion is based on this one. They take vows of non-lying, for example, but they believe that if telling the truth could lead to violence, it is better to keep silent.”

Jainism has no priests. Its professional religious people are monks and nuns — and Troy will share insight on their extraordinary open-mindedness and “do no harm” practices.

Troy Bowles specialize in political philosophy. He is an expert on matters concerning the ethical and moral considerations regarding polygamous societies. “It’s my life’s work. I am the only living philosopher who does this particular kind of work,” he says. Bowles’ website, CosmoPhilosophy.com, deals with this subject.

Troy grew up in a polygamous family and left dissatisfied in 1984. He spent time in the Navy and was honorably discharged. He became a human rights activist in the late 1990’s. He finished his BA in Philosophy in 2009 from the University of Utah, with emphases on Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics and Epistemology.

“Western religion has become so authoritarian and fear-laden that it stifles many people in their attempts to get to their true, inner spirituality,” he says. “This is why I’m more drawn to something like Jainism where there is no divine authority whatsoever and the very devout types like monks and nuns have no kind of authority, but instead live lives of devotion and non-violence. I can’t say that I’m a practicing Jain; I’m a totally unattached thinker. I can only claim to be a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world. And I’ve dedicated my whole life to this kind of secular humanism. I also get a huge spiritual lift from practicing a quiet vegetarian lifestyle and I keep a very tiny carbon footprint. This is the sort of thing that keeps my hungry spirit satisfied yet always craving more.”

Note — The show is scheduled for one hour, but additional time has been reserved in case more time is needed.

Top Photo (Purchased, Licensed) — Elephant statue in the courtyard of an ancient Jain Temple (Indra Sabha). Cave number 32, Ellora Caves, near Aurangabad, India. 10th – 12th Century CE

Show Time: Tuesday night, April 2, 2013, 7 Pacific / 8 Mountain / 9 Central / 10 Eastern (Additional time conversions at the World Time Server).

Call-In Number: 914-338-0452 or toll-free, 888-238-8529 (or, when show is live, simply push the SKYPE button that appears on the show page.)

To hear the show live and participate in the web-based chat room: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/god-discussion/2013/04/03/dimensions-in-religion-jainism

How it works … When you visit the show page (linked immediately above), the podcast will automatically play out of your computer speakers when it is live. A SKYPE button will also appear that you can simply press and connect with the host (if you have SKYPE, that is). A web-based chat room will be running contemporaneously with the show, where you can post questions and comments. To use the SKYPE feature and to participate in the chat room, you will need a free BlogTalk listener account (click the “Register as a Listener” option).

Upcoming shows: Look at the events at the top of this page or visit our “At–A-Glance” calendar.