Jainism vs.

Sikhism
REL/133 Version 4

University of Phoenix Material

Jainism vs. Sikhism
Part I
Read the assigned chapters for the week and complete the following table. Be as specific as possible
when identifying practices, beliefs, rituals, and historical elements. Cite sources in APA formatting.

Jainism

Sikhism

1. Rejects the belief of a creator / No deity

1. Monothiestic / belief in Kartar

2. Belief in non-violence

2. Belief in military self-defense

3. All humans do harm and suffer by simply

existing.

3. Human suffering comes from "ignorance

of divine ways and by human selfcenteredness".

4. A person can acend to "a heavenly realm"

if they have good karma but also will be
reincarnated back to a human.

4. When someone dies they go to "the divine

court (dargah) where true justice happens.

5. Most Jains are vegitarians which is an

expression of their faith.

5. Sikhs express their faith by making

several daily prayers and singing the Guru's
hymns.

Core Beliefs

Part 2
Respond to the following questions in 150 to 200 words:
1. What do you think is the most important similarity and which is the most important difference? Use
specifics to support your answer.
There are many differences between Jainism and Sikhism and few similarities Ive found. One similarity
is that they both believe that humans have a soul of some sort and that every soul has the potential for
liberation from this world. One major difference is the belief in a higher power or diety. Jainism is pretty
much atheistic in that Jains do not believe in a God or creator of the universe and everything in it.
According to "Patheos Lenses Side By Side Comparison" (n.d.), Jainism postulates no creator god. The
unfortunate union of soul and matter propels the cycle of samsara. Sikhs do believe in a God named
Kartar who created the universe and is their only divine being.

2. 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 or, holy death is a method of killing yourself that Jains believe in. It is a lengthy, and slow
suicide by self-starvation. They believe in this practice only after a long life of virtue and detachment,
and it must be done with consideration for others., according to Molloy (2013). The statement that this
practice is against a fundamental Jain belief of non-violence because you would be doing violence to
yourself, can be argued against by viewing the peaceful taking of your life as a mercy on yourself. A Jain

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Jainism vs. Sikhism

REL/133 Version 4
may argue that continuing to slowly die of old age is a more violent way to die than a month of starvation.
Giving up food for about a month, is a lot more easier on a person and the society than the pain and
sickness than comes with old age and having to have others take care of you.
References:
Patheos Lenses Side by Side Comparison. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Lenses/Side-By-Side?path1=x1357&path2=x3962&path3=
Molloy, M. (2013). Experiencing the worlds religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (6th ed.). New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Copyright 2014 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.