JAINISM:

Atheistic - the universe is matter in motion. The spiritual potential of each person is part of the order of nature.  Denies a creator God of the universe.
        They hold the belief that this universe is eternal.    It undergoes constant change, regular cycles of rise and fall.

        The arguments of Jainism against a God:
            1.  A perfect God created a perfect world?
            2.  If God is a loving being, why is there so much suffering?
            3.  If the universe must be created, doesn't God require a creator?
            4.  What is the cause of God?

    Emphasizes non-attachment and non-harm (ahimsa).
            Hylozoism:  belief that all things are full of life and capable of suffering.  The universe is composed of two sorts of things that are intermixed:  matter (ajiva:  non-soul) and spirit (jiva:  soul, life).

    General view of human beings:  we are composed of two parts:  matter and spirit.  Matter seeks pleasure, avoids pain and is self-interested; spirit seeks escape from the material world.  Liberated spirits live on in another, higher realm.  Karma is very seriously taken, considered to be something that "sticks" to people and whatever they are like at the time of their death will influence their re-birth.

The ideal people are tirthankaras (crossing-makers)

Generally considered to be the founder:  Nataputta Vardhamana 500s BCE - honorary name:  Mahavira - the hero.
        Contemporary of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)
 
    Extreme non-attachment and non-harm.
    His liberating experience after 12 years of meditation, wandering and self-mortification is called JINA (the conqueror). This is the origin of the name of the religion.

    His experience resulted in complete omniscience.  He was considered the "perfected one" (kevalin) - equivalent to the Buddhist arhat.

    FIVE MAJOR ETHICAL ASPECTS OF JAINISM
            These are caled the 5 great vows.

1.  Nonviolence, gentleness, harmlessness.  Usually engage in professions that do no harm.
2.  Non-lying - this causes hurt of an emotional kind and is unacceptable.
3.  Non-stealing - is the result of improper desire and hurts others.
4.  Nonattachment - avoid attachments to all things; for the ordinary person, this means limiting possessions to bare essentials and developing a spirit of generosity.

    THREE BRANCHES OF JAINISM:

Digambaras:  Sky-clothed (in other words, they don't wear clothes).  Everything must be renounced.
    Women are not permitted into the monastic life except when they are reborn as men.
Shvetambaras:  Clothed in white - allows women
Sthanakavasis:  Young branch, less than 500 years old.  Rejects ritual and veneration of statues.

    GENERAL PRACTICES & FACTORS OF JAINISM:
        PUJA - devotional acts - creates good karma.
 
    Scripture:  The PURVAS, which exist ony in part.  The Sthanakavasis do not accept ANY SCRIPTURE AT ALL.

    The general teaching of Jainism is in the THREE JEWELS:  Proper worldview, proper gnosis, and proper conduct.
 

SIKHISM (founded 1469)
    Nanak - founder; religious experience in a forest; the fundamental divine reality is "True Name" - the idea is that there is no real distinction between Hindus and Muslims:  "When the 'True Name' of God is experienced rather than just talked about, there is no 'Hindu' and there is no 'Muslim'."

    Monotheistic
        Perhaps is a combination of Hinduism and Islam in some ways.  Devotional and value of mystical consciousness.
            Sikhs consider their religion completely new.
                Belief in reincarnation and karma, but there is no proscription regarding use of animals - the view is that they were put here on earth for the use of humans.
        Emphasizes military self-defense and does not subscribe to ahimsa as a doctrine.
But, the Sikhs recognize that Islam and Hinduism do not do enough for the poor and downtrodden, so they have SANGATS, reglious groups dedicated to helping other people and worshiping God.

    SCRIPTURE AND PRACTICES:
        Adi Granth (Original Collection):  created by Arjan, who refused to give in to Islamic practice and was tortured to death for it.  His son Har Gobind (as you might suspect) resented this and moved more toward a defensive posture in the religion, and so the ideal of AHIMSA is ABANDONED.
    A special military order, the KHALSA, was developed in which all members of the group take the name Singh (lion).

    Japji - first part of the Adi Granth - a poem summarizing the religion.
    Rags - "tunes" created by Nanak and other gurus.
    Third part consists of peoms and hymns from Mulsims, Hindus and Sikhs

    Scripture is used to solve problems.  Open a page randomly and read from the top left page; even children's names are chosen based on the first letter at the top of the opened page on the left.
 

WESTERN ETHICS:  VIRTUE THEORY AS A PRELUDE TO CONFUCIANISM (even though Confucianism pre-dates the primary founders of Western Virtue Theory, Plato and Aristotle).
    Link to some aspects of Aristotle's Ethical Doctrine.