🛕 Sacred Pilgrimages of Purity & Peace | Sanatana Decode 🕉️ Introduction: Temples as Silent Teachers In Jain Dharma, liberation is through inner purification, not rituals or divine intervention. Yet, temples—especially Jain temples—play a vital role in inspiring detachment, reflection, and reverence for the Tīrthaṅkaras. Jain temples are not just places of worship. They are: Across India, Jain temples rise from mountains, deserts, forests, and cities—each telling stories of devotion, renunciation, and sublime art. Let…

🪞 Jain Reflections to Cultivate Detachment and Inner Liberation | Sanatana Decode 🕉️ Introduction: Why the Mind Must Be Trained In Jainism, the journey to liberation is not just about what we do, but how we think. Without transforming the mind, actions remain superficial. To aid this transformation, Jain seers prescribed 12 deep meditative reflections called Bhāvanās (भावना) to help seekers develop detachment (vairāgya) and right understanding (samyag darśana). These aren’t religious rituals or philosophical…

⚖️The Subtle Matter That Shapes Your Destiny | Sanatana Decode 🕉️ Introduction: Karma Beyond Action and Reaction In many traditions, karma is loosely understood as “what goes around comes around.” But in Jainism, karma is far more precise, material, and scientifically structured. In Jain Dharma, karma is not a metaphor or moral consequence—it is a real, subtle substance that literally sticks to the soul. This binding is not random. It follows universal laws, making Jain…

📖The Heart of Jain Metaphysics by Ācārya Kundakunda | Sanatana Decode 🕉️ Introduction: What is Samayasāra? In the vast ocean of Jain philosophical texts, one name shines like a lighthouse—Samayasāra (meaning Essence of the Self), authored by the legendary Digambara philosopher Ācārya Kundakunda. Written over 2,000 years ago, Samayasāra is not just a religious scripture but a masterpiece of metaphysics, laying out the purest understanding of the soul (Jīva), karma, liberation (moksha), and true spiritual…

🌀Mapping the Universe Without a Creator God | Sanatana Decode 🪐 Introduction: A Creatorless, Eternal Cosmos In a world where many religious traditions speak of a creator deity who made the universe, Jainism presents a radically different vision. It describes the universe (Loka) as eternal, uncreated, and self-regulating—with no beginning and no end, and governed solely by the karmic laws of individual souls. In Jain cosmology: This cosmology, though ancient, is surprisingly modern in its…

⚖️A Deep Dive into the Two Major Jain Sects | Sanatana Decode 🕉️ Introduction: Unity in Diversity Within Jain Dharma Jainism, though remarkably consistent in its core spiritual principles—Ahimsa (non-violence), Aparigraha (non-possession), and Samyak Darshana (right perception)—has evolved into two major sects over the centuries: Both sects venerate the same 24 Tīrthaṅkaras, share core metaphysics, and value spiritual purity above all. However, their differences in practice, scripture, iconography, and views on liberation are significant, historical,…