Background :-

Jainism is a transtheistic religion prescribing non-violence toward all living beings

Transtheism:-

It refers to a system of thought or religious philosophy which is neither theistic, nor atheistic, but is beyond them.

Reasons why Jainism is known as a transtheistic religion :-

Jains do not believe in a God or gods in the way that many other religions do, but they do believe in divine (or at least perfect) beings who are worthy of devotion. So a new word was needed: transtheistic, meaning inaccessible by arguments as to whether or not a God exists

It is theistic in the limited sense that the gods exist, but become irrelevant as they are transcended by moksha(that is, a system which is not non-theistic, but in which the gods are not the highest spiritual instance).

Athiestic nature:-

1. The Jain view of God enables Jainism to explain the evil and suffering that exists in the world without the intellectual difficulties faced by religions that have an omnipotent, creator God at their heart. Jains use the existence of evil as a reason for denying the existence of an omnipotent, wholly good, Creator.
2. Jain prayers tend to recall the great qualities of the tirthankaras and remind the individual of various teachings.
3. Jains believe that the goodness or quality of a being’s life are determined by karma and it has nothing to do with spiritual being
4. Jains do not believe in any god who will respond to prayer or intervene in the world. The beings that Jains worship have no interest in human beings. The beings that Jains worship are beyond human contact and they cannot intervene in the world.
5. Jains do not believe that any form of god is necessary to keep the universe in existence.

Jainism and God – the theistic side

1. Some writers regard the jinasas ‘gods’ because the jinas are venerated by Jains in the way that other faiths worship gods or God. Jains venerate them because they have achieved perfection, and have become liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
2. The jinas are the ideal state of an individual soul’s existence, and are worshipped as a perfect example for Jains to aspire to. So the only ‘gods’ that exist for Jains are pure souls that are omniscient, perfectly happy and eternal.

How this transtheistic nature is reflected in its art and architecture :-

Jain architecture was almost an offshoot of Hindu and Buddhist styles but with some specific Jainism needs. in later years Jains started building temple-cities on hills based on the concept of mountains of immortality.

The transtheistic nature is the art and architecture is visible as Jain iconography mostly has a sage in sitting or standing meditative posture without any clothes. Popular themes and icons in Jain art include the Tirthankaras ,yakshas and yakshinis and holy symbols such as the lotus and the swastika, which symbolized peace and well-being.

• Jains mainly depict tirthankaraor other important people in a seated or standing meditative posture, sometimes on a very large scale. Yaksaand yaksini, attendant spirits who guard the tirthankara, are usually shown with them. Figures on various seals from the Indus Valley Civilisation bear similarity to jaina images, nude and in a meditative posture.

Rock cut:-

• Excellent Jain architecture and sculpture can also be seen in the rock-cut caves found in Mathura, Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. A number of rock-cut caves have been discovered in twin hills in Puri District of Orissa and in Ellora in Maharashtra.
• Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves: The caves bear inscriptions and sculptural friezes depicting Tirthankaras, elephants, women etc

Temple architecture:-
The Dilwara Temple complex in Rajasthan consists of five ornately carved marble temples, each dedicated to a different Tirthankara
The Jain pilgrimage in Shatrunjay hills near Patilana, Gujarat is called “The city of Temples”.

Ayagapata is a type of votive slab associated with worship in Jainism.These stone tablets bear a resemblance to the earlier Shilapatas– stone tablets that were placed under trees to worship Yakshas. However, this was done by indigenous folk communities before Jainism originated suggesting that both have commonalities in rituals.

Most of the Jain paintings and illustrations depict historical events, known as Panch Kalyanaka, from the life of the Tirthankaras. Rishabha, the first Tirthankara, is usually depicted in either the lotus position or kayotsarga, the standing position.

Conclusion:-

Bahubali statue in Shravanabelgola in Karnataka was the earliest proponent of disarmament. His message is more relevant today, when nations are faced with the threat of war. The teachings of the 24 Thirthankaras after the life of Bahubali till the last Thirthankara Mahaveera shows that Jainism has given the message of peace and ahimsa.