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Jainism rejects the idea of a creator deity responsible for the manifestation, creation, or maintenance of this universe. According to Jain doctrine, the universe and its constituents (soul, matter, space, time, and principles of motion) have always existed. All the constituents and actions are governed by universal natural laws and an immaterial entity like God cannot create a material entity like the universe. Jain cosmology offers an elaborate description of heavenly beings (''devas''), but these beings are not viewed as creators; they are subject to suffering and change like all other living beings, and must eventually die. Jains define godliness as the inherent quality of every soul characterizing infinite bliss, infinite power, Kevala Jnana (pure infinite knowledge) and infinite peace. However, these qualities of a soul are subdued due to karmas of the soul. ''Karmas'' are the fundamental particles of nature in Jainism. One who achieves this state of soul through right belief, right knowledge and right conduct can be termed a god. This perfection of soul is called ''Kevalin''. A god thus becomes a liberated soul – liberated of miseries, cycles of rebirth, world, ''karmas'' and finally liberated of body as well. This is called ''nirvana'' or ''moksha''. Thus, there are infinite gods in Jainism, all equivalent, liberated, and infinite in the manifestation of all attributes. Godliness is defined as the state of having freed one's soul from karmas. The Self and karmas are separate substances in Jainism, the former living and the latter non-living. The attainment of enlightenment and the one who exists in such a state, then those who have achieved such a state can be termed gods. Therefore, beings (Arihant) who've attained omniscience (''kevala jnana'') are worshipped as gods. Tirthankara are certain special ''Arihants'' who establish ''(-kara)'' dharma-tirtha (''tirtham-'') i.e. they illuminate the path for the salvation of the soul. Rishabha was the first ''Tirthankara'' and Mahavira was the last ''Tirthankara'' of ''avasarpani'' (present half of the Jain cosmic time cycle). However, the quality of godliness is one and the same in all of them. Thus, Jainism can be defined as polytheist, monotheist, nontheist, transtheist or atheist, depending on one's definition of God. Jainism does not teach the dependency on any supreme being for enlightenment. The Tirthankara is a guide and teacher who points the way to enlightenment, but the struggle for enlightenment is one's own. Moral rewards and sufferings are not the work of a divine being, but a result of an innate moral order in the cosmos; a self-regulating mechanism whereby the individual reaps the fruits of his own actions through the workings of the karmas. A deeper and subtler aspect is the notion of ''non-doability'', according to which no substance can affect any other substance in any way, and in fact it cannot affect or effect even its own state. 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. Such a practice through lifelong work towards oneself is regarded as observing the ''Mahavrata'' ("Great Vows"). Gods can be thus categorized into embodied gods also known as ''arihantas'' and non-embodied formless gods who are called ''Siddhas''. 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''. ==Arihant (''Jina'')== (詳細はarihant'' in Jainism. They are also called ''Jinas'' (conquerors) or ''Kevalin'' (omniscient beings). An Arihant is a soul who has destroyed all passions, is totally unattached and without any desire and hence is able to destroy the four ghātiyā karmas and attain ''kevala jñāna'', or omniscience. Such a soul still has a body and four aghātiyā karmas. ''Arihantas'', at the end of their human life-span, destroys all remaining aghātiyā karmas and attain Siddhahood. There are two kinds of ''kevalin'' or ''arihant'': #''Sāmānya Kevalin''- Ordinary victors, who are concerned with their own salvation. #''Tirthankara Kevalin''- Twenty four human spiritual guides, who show the true path to salvation (or Siddhahood). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「God in Jainism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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