God in Jainism

Jainism rejects the idea of a creator deity responsible for the manifestation, creation, or maintenance of this universe.

Instead, souls (in this case, devis or devas) who have reached Heaven for their merits and deeds influence the Universe for a fixed period until they undergo reincarnation and continue the cycle of enlightenment.

According to Jain doctrine, the universe and its constituents (namely, soul, matter, space, time, and principles of motion) have always existed.

One who achieves this state of soul through right belief, right knowledge and right conduct can be termed a god.

Jains believe that to attain enlightenment and ultimately liberation from all karmic bonding, one must practice the ethical principles not only in thought, but also in words (speech) and action.

Jainism considers the devīs and devas to be souls who dwell in heavens owing to meritorious deeds in their past lives.

These souls are in heavens for a fixed lifespan and even they have to undergo reincarnation as humans to achieve moksha.

Jainism is sometimes regarded as a transtheistic religion,[4] though it can be atheistic or polytheistic based on the way one defines "God".

In Jainism, the Pañca-Parameṣṭhi (Sanskrit for "five supreme beings") are a fivefold hierarchy of religious authorities worthy of veneration.

Arihantas, at the end of their human life-span, destroy all remaining aghātiyā karmas and attain Siddhahood.

There are two kinds of kevalin or arihant:[6] The Dravyasaṃgraha, a major Jain text, states: Having destroyed the four inimical varieties of karmas (ghātiyā karmas), possessed of infinite faith, happiness, knowledge and power, and housed in most auspicious body (paramaudārika śarīra), that pure soul of the World Teacher (Arihant) should be meditated on.The word Tīrthaṅkara signifies the founder of a tirtha which means a fordable passage across a sea.

[10] Tirthankara revive the fourfold order of Shraman, Shramani, Śrāvaka, and Śrāvika called sangha.

They are not the beings who exercise any sort of creative activity or who have the capacity or ability to intervene in answers to prayers.

Tirthamkara-nama-karma is a special type of karma, bondage of which raises a soul to the supreme status of a tirthankara.

The Ācārāṅga Sūtra 1.197 describes siddhas in this way: The liberated soul is not long nor small nor round nor triangular nor quadrangular nor circular; it is not black nor blue nor red nor green nor white; neither of good nor bad smell; not bitter nor pungent nor astringent nor sweet; neither rough nor soft; neither heavy nor light; neither cold nor hot; neither harsh nor smooth; it is without body, without resurrection, without contact (of matter), it is not feminine nor masculine nor neuter.

English-language material tends to retain the term "deva" or describe these beings as "deities", "gods" and "goddesses.

Ācārya Hemacandra in the 12th century put forth the Jain view of the universe in the Yogaśāstra:[19] This universe is not created nor sustained by anyone; It is self-sustaining, without any base or supportBesides scriptural authority, Jains also resorted to syllogism and deductive reasoning to refute the creationist theories.

Various views on divinity and the universe held by the Vedics, samkhyas, mīmāṃsās, Buddhists and other schools of thought were analyzed, debated and repudiated by various Jain Ācāryas.

However, the most eloquent refutation of this view is provided by Ācārya Jinasena in Mahāpurāna,[20][21][22] which was quoted by Carl Sagan in his 1980 book Cosmos.

If he created because of the karma of embodied beings (acquired in a previous creation), then he is not the Almighty Lord, but subordinate to something else.

If out of love for living beings and need of them he made the world, why did he not make creation wholly blissful free from misfortune?

Good men should combat the believer in divine creation, maddened by an evil doctrine.