Jainism vs. Sikhism, Research Paper Example

What do you think is the most important similarity and which is the most important difference?

Use specifics to support your answer. The most significant similarity between the two religions is to avoid any activities that pose a threat to contaminating the body. Both Jainism and Sikhism believe that celibacy is of the utmost importance. Sex leads individuals astray from living a good life, thereby contaminating the mind and body.

Consider the following statement: Sallekhana (“holy death”) violates the Jain principle of ahimsa because it is an act of violence against oneself. Using examples from Ch. 5 of your text, what points might a follower of Jainism make to argue against this statement?

Sallekhana is a practice in which people accept and embrace that their life is coming to an end soon. As such, they reduce the amount of food and drink intake in order to purify their minds and bodies. Although ahimsa states that all beings have a right to life, it refers to the inability of one individual stripping another individual of his or her life. Sallekhana does not justify suicide, but rather it is done in order to alleviate the suffering of one whose death is imminent. As such, it does not violate ahimsa, as it does not result in the premature taking of one’s life and there is no violence involved in the act. According to the textbook, propensities toward austerity and nonviolence in Buddhist and Hindu religions are done until the logical endpoint has been reached.

References

Molloy, M. (2013). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.