Editing Saṃsāra (section)

==In Jainism==
{{main article|Saṃsāra (Jainism)|Karma in Jainism}}
[[File:Saṃsāra.jpg|thumb|Symbolic depiction of saṃsāra at Shri Mahaveerji temple of Jainism.]]
In [[Jainism]], the ''saṃsāra'' and karma doctrine are central to its theological foundations, as evidenced by the extensive literature on it in the major sects of Jainism, and their pioneering ideas on karma and ''saṃsāra'' from the earliest times of the Jaina tradition.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|pp=217–36}}<ref name=dundasp14/> ''Saṃsāra'' in Jainism represents the worldly life characterized by continuous rebirths and suffering in various realms of existence.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|pp=226–28}}<ref name=dundasp14>{{cite book|author= Paul Dundas|title=The Jains |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X8iAAgAAQBAJ |year=2003|publisher= Routledge|isbn=978-0415266055 |pages= 14–16, 102–05 }}</ref><ref name="Sethia2004p31">{{cite book|author=Tara Sethia |title=Ahimsā, Anekānta, and Jainism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QYdlKv8wBiYC |year=2004|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-2036-4|pages=30–31}}</ref>

The conceptual framework of the saṃsāra doctrine differs between the Jainism traditions and other Indian religions. For instance, in Jaina traditions, soul (''jiva'') is accepted as a truth, as is assumed in the Hindu traditions, but not assumed in the Buddhist traditions. However, saṃsāra or the cycle of rebirths, has a definite beginning and end in Jainism.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|p=226}}

Souls begin their journey in a primordial state, and exist in a state of consciousness continuum that is constantly evolving through ''saṃsāra''.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|p=227}} Some evolve to a higher state, while some regress, a movement that is driven by karma.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|pp=227–28}} Further, Jaina traditions believe that there exist ''[[Ābhāvya]]'' (incapable), or a class of souls that can never attain [[moksha]] (liberation).{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|p=226}}<ref name="Dundas2003p105">{{cite book|author= Paul Dundas|title=The Jains |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X8iAAgAAQBAJ |year=2003|publisher= Routledge|isbn=978-0415266055 |pages= 104–05 }}</ref> The ''Ābhāvya'' state of soul is entered after an intentional and shockingly evil act.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|p=225}} Jainism considers souls as pluralistic each in a karma-''saṃsāra'' cycle, and does not subscribe to [[Advaita Vedanta|Advaita]] style [[Nonduality (spirituality)|nondualism]] of Hinduism, or [[Madhyamaka|Advaya]] style nondualism of Buddhism.<ref name="Dundas2003p105"/>

The Jaina theosophy, like ancient [[Ajivika]], but unlike Hindu and Buddhist theosophies, asserts that each soul passes through 8,400,000 birth-situations, as they circle through ''saṃsāra''.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|p=228}}<ref>{{cite book|author=Padmanabh S. Jaini|title=Collected Papers on Jaina Studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HPggiM7y1aYC |year=2000|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=978-81-208-1691-6|pages=130–31}}</ref> As the soul cycles, states Padmanabh Jaini, Jainism traditions believe that it goes through five types of bodies: earth bodies, water bodies, fire bodies, air bodies and vegetable lives.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|pp=223–24}} With all human and non-human activities, such as rainfall, agriculture, eating and even breathing, minuscule living beings are taking birth or dying, their souls are believed to be constantly changing bodies. Perturbing, harming or killing any life form, including any human being, is considered a sin in Jainism, with negative karmic effects.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|pp=224–25}}<ref name="Sethia2004p31"/>

A liberated soul in Jainism is one who has gone beyond ''saṃsāra'', is at the apex, is omniscient, remains there eternally, and is known as a ''[[Siddha]]''.{{Sfn|Jaini|1980|pp=222–23}} A male human being is considered closest to the apex with the potential to achieve liberation, particularly through asceticism. Women must gain karmic merit, to be reborn as man, and only then can they achieve spiritual liberation in Jainism, particularly in the [[Digambara]] sect of Jainism;<ref>{{cite book|author=Jeffery D Long|title=Jainism: An Introduction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajAEBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT36|year=2013|publisher=I.B. Tauris|isbn=978-0-85773-656-7|pages=36–37}}</ref><ref name=harveyp182>{{cite book|author=Graham Harvey |title=Religions in Focus: New Approaches to Tradition and Contemporary Practices |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wrTsCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT182|year=2016|publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-93690-8|pages=182–83}}</ref> however, this view has been historically debated within Jainism and different Jaina sects have expressed different views, particularly the Shvetambara sect that believes that women too can achieve liberation from ''saṃsāra''.<ref name=harveyp182/><ref>{{cite book|author= Paul Dundas|title=The Jains |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X8iAAgAAQBAJ |year=2003|publisher= Routledge|isbn=978-0415266055 |pages= 55–59 }}</ref>

In contrast to Buddhist texts which do not expressly or unambiguously condemn injuring or killing plants and minor life forms, Jaina texts do. Jainism considers it a bad karma to injure plants and minor life forms with negative impact on a soul's {{IAST|saṃsāra}}.<ref name=lschmithausen>[[Lambert Schmithausen]] (1991), ''Buddhism and Nature'', Studia Philologica Buddhica, The International Institute for Buddhist Studies, Tokyo Japan, pp. 6–7</ref> However, some texts in Buddhism and Hinduism do caution a person from injuring all life forms, including plants and seeds.<ref name=lschmithausen/><ref>[[Rod Preece]] (1999), Animals and Nature: Cultural Myths, Cultural Realities, {{ISBN|978-0-7748-0725-8}}, University of British Columbia Press, pp. 212–17</ref><ref>Christopher Chapple (1990), Ecological Nonviolence and the Hindu Tradition, in ''Perspectives on Nonviolence'', Springer, {{ISBN|978-1-4612-4458-5}}, pp. 168–77;<br>L. Alsdorf (1962), ''Beiträge zur Geschichte von Vegetarismus und Rinderverehrung in Indien, Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur'', F. Steiner Wiesbaden, pp. 592–93</ref>