Jainism is among the world's oldest religions with historical evidence dating over 2,500 years ago. There are over 4.5 million Jains worldwide, with an estimated 200,000 living in the United States.
Starting with the academic term 2024-25, the Harvard Undergraduate Jain Society a.k.a. Harvard Ahimsa aims to celebrate Jain traditions, festivals, and values. We also aim to exemplify Jain values by conducting service at Harvard.
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1. Provide a space for students to practice Jain faith at Harvard through cultural events. For instance, Mahavir Jayanti has never been celebrated at Harvard. (See President Biden's Tweet) The recent Paryushana and Das Lakshan involving fasting and rituals represent an important part of Jain tradition, yet there is no space on campus to celebrate these traditions.
2. Research Jain history, cosmology, and philosophy with the intent of sharing our findings online — something that has long prevented young Jains in the diaspora from learning about their faith.
3. Conduct service that affects the wider Harvard community. Jainism is a religion that embraces many aspects of environmental conservation, ethical treatment of animals, and sustainable living. We aim to conduct service projects on campus around these goals.
Jain Symbolism
The Jain Swastik is a symbol of good luck, peace, and nonviolence in Jainism. The symbol features four arms that are bent at right angles, with dots. The four arms represent the four states of existence in Jainism: heaven, hell, human, and animal, while the dot in the center represents the soul or the true self. The three dots above represent Samyak Darshan, Samyak Jnan and Samyak Charitra.
The small yellow crescent at the top represents Siddhashila, a place for liberated souls. The yellow dot above represents a Siddha or a liberated soul. These souls have attained moksha (a.k.a. nirvana in Buddhism), the liberation from saṃsāra (cycle of rebirth).
The Jain hand symbol, also known as the hand of Ahimsa, is a symbol of nonviolence in Jainism. It features a hand with a wheel on the palm and the Sanskrit word "ahimsa" in the middle. The wheel represents the dharmachakra, or the teachings of Jainism.
Harvard Undergraduate Jain Society