Misplaced Pages

Jain flag

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Jain Flag)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Jain flag" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Flag for Jainism
Jainism
UseJain symbol
Proportion2:3
Part of a series on
Jainism
Philosophy
EthicsEthics of Jainism
Mahavratas (major vows)
Anuvratas (further vows)
Jain prayers
Major figures
Major sectsSchools and Branches
Jain literature
Festivals
PilgrimagesTirth
Other

Overview

The flag of Jainism has five colours: White, Red, Yellow, Green and Blue. These five colours represent the Pañca-Parameṣṭhi (five supreme beings). It also represents the five main vows of Jainism.

Colours

These five colours represent the "Pañca-Parameṣṭhi" and the five vows, small as well as great:

  • White – represents the arihants, souls who have conquered all passions (anger, attachments, aversion) and have attained omniscience and eternal bliss through self-realization. It also denotes peace or ahimsa (non-violence).
  • Red – represents the siddha, souls that have attained salvation and truth. It also denotes truthfulness (satya).
  • Yellow – represents the acharya the Masters of Adepts. The colour also stands for non-stealing (achaurya).
  • Green – represents the upadhyaya (adepts), those who teach scriptures to monks. It also signifies chastity (brahmacharya).
  • Blue – represents the sadhus and sadhvis or monks and nuns. It also signifies non-possession (aparigraha).

It is also believed that the complexion of all the 24 Tirthankaras was of one of these five colours. For instance, Chandraprabha and Pushpadanta were white, Munisuvrata and Neminatha were dark colour, Padmaprabha and Vasupujya were red, Suparshvanatha and Parshvanatha were green, while the remaining were golden or yellowish.

Swastika

The swastika in the centre of the flag represents the four states of existence of soul. The four stages may be:

  • heaven-beings or deities
  • human beings
  • animal/birds/insects/plants
  • hell beings

It represents that the soul can embody any of these forms, owing to karma, which may escalate it to higher-level forms such as heavenly beings, or degrade it to lower-level forms such as lesser animals or hell beings.
The purpose of soul is to liberate itself from these four stages and be arihants or Siddha eventually.

Three Dots

The three dots above the swastika represent the Ratnatraya (three jewels) of Jainism:

  • Samyak Darshana – "Right Faith" or "Right Vision"
  • Samyak Gyana – "Right Knowledge"
  • Samyak Charitra – "Right Conduct"

These are part of the Jainist paradigm by which jīva (living souls) seek to rid themselves of karma and the cycle of rebirth, saṃsāra, which it develops.

Siddhashila

The curve above the three dots denotes Siddhashila, a place in the highest realms of Universe, composed of pure energy. It is above hell, earth, or heaven. It is the place where souls that have attained salvation, for instance, Arihants and Siddhas reside eternally with supreme bliss.

Respect for Jain Flag is respect for Pañca-Parameṣṭhi (Supreme Five). According to Jainism, respect for Pañca-Parameṣṭhi abiding the Ratnatraya (Three Jewels) destroys the sorrow of the four states of existence and finally guides one to the sweet home of infinite bliss (Siddhashila).

Photo gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ Jain, Vijay K. (2012). Acharya Amritchandra's Purushartha Siddhyupaya. Vikalp Printers. p. iv. ISBN 978-81-903639-4-5. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Jainism topics
Gods
Philosophy
Branches
Digambara
Śvetāmbara
Practices
Literature
Symbols
Ascetics
Scholars
Community
Jainism in
India
Overseas
Jainism and
Dynasties and empires
Related
Lists
Navboxes
icon Religion portal
Categories: