The Jain tradition is rightly famous for its teachings and practices of ahiṃsā, or nonviolence in thought, word, and action. Less well-known or well-understood is the Jain emphasis on karuṇā or dāyā—compassion. Even admirers of the Jain emphasis on nonviolence might ask whether the Jain ideal is merely one of avoiding harm or if there is a place for doing positive good for the welfare of other beings in this tradition. Given the strong emphasis in this tradition of not harming animals and practicing a vegetarian or vegan diet, some might also ask whether the practice of compassion specifically toward human beings is also important to Jains. The answer to both these questions is an emphatic yes. There is indeed a strong Jain emphasis on living compassionately, and specifically on treating our fellow humans with kindness. This course will explore Jain teachings and practices of compassion–including, but not limited to, compassion directed toward our fellow human beings.

All suggested course readings are provided as links and pdfs throughout the course.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the foundations of compassionate living according to Jain teachings.
• Learn how the Jain tradition provides rich philosophical resources that encourage us to live compassionately.
• Learn how teachings and practices of compassion are lived out in the Jain community.

Course Details

Learning Area

Social Justice

Instructor

Jeffery Long, PhD

Jeffery D. Long is the Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religion, Philosophy, and Asian Studies at Elizabethtown College, in Pennsylvania where he has taught since receiving his doctoral degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School in the year 2000.

In 2021, Elizabethtown College gave Jeffrey its Ranck Award for Research Excellence. In 2018, he received the Hindu American Foundation’s Dharma Seva Award for his ongoing work to promote accurate, culturally sensitive portrayals of Indic traditions in the American education system and popular media. And in 2013, he gave the inaugural Virchand Gandhi Lecture in Jain Studies at Claremont University. He has also spoken on ahiṃsā at the United Nations. Jeffrey is the author of several books, including Hinduism in America and Jainism: An Introduction, and co-editor with Christopher Miller and Michael Reading for Beacons of Dharma, and with Michael Long for Nonviolence in the World’s Religions.