Jainism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Cosmology=== {{Main|Jain cosmology}} {{Multiple image | image1 = Jain universe.JPG | caption1 = Rebirth ''loka'' (realms of existence) in Jain cosmology.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=90–92}} | image2 = Jain Cosmic Time Cycle.jpg | caption2 = Division of time in Jain cosmology. | total_width=330 }} Jain texts propound that the universe consists of many eternal ''lokas'' (realms of existence). As in Buddhism and Hinduism, both time and the universe are eternal, but the universe is transient.{{sfn|von Glasenapp|1925|p=241}}{{sfn|Long|2013|pp=83–85}} The universe, body, matter and time are considered separate from the soul (''jiva''). Their interaction explains life, living, death and rebirth in Jain philosophy.{{sfn|Long|2013|pp=83–85}} The Jain cosmic universe has three parts, the upper, middle, and lower worlds (''urdhva loka'', ''madhya loka'', and ''adho loka'').{{sfn|Natubhai Shah|1998|p=25}} Jainism states that ''Kāla'' (time) is without beginning and eternal;{{sfn|Doniger|1999|p=551}} the cosmic wheel of time, ''kālachakra'', rotates ceaselessly. In this part of the universe, it explains, there are six periods of time within two eons (''ara''), and in the first eon the universe generates, and in the next it degenerates.{{sfn|Vijay K. Jain|2011|p=46}} Thus, it divides the worldly cycle of time into two half-cycles, ''utsarpiṇī'' (ascending, progressive prosperity and happiness) and ''[[avasarpiṇī]]'' (descending, increasing sorrow and immorality).{{sfn|Doniger|1999|p=551}}{{sfn|Upinder Singh|2016|p=313}}{{sfn|von Glasenapp|1925|pp=271–272}} It states that the world is currently in the fifth ''ara'' of ''avasarpiṇī'', full of sorrow and religious decline, where the height of living beings shrinks. According to Jainism, after the sixth ''ara'', the universe will be reawakened in a new cycle.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|p=13}}{{sfn|Champat Rai Jain|1929b|p=124}}{{sfn|Dalal|2010a|p=27}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page