The Project

Distinctive values and non-violent practices of Jainism and ‘Jainness’ in Southern Europe

Jain values— non-violence and respect for all forms of life (ahiṃsā), non-attachment to the material world (aparigraha), and pluralism (anekāntavāda)—are relevant for human and animal welfare, yet a lifestyle based on introspection, and the calmness of self and spiritual liberation through self-effort is not always easily to adaptable to a frenzied way of life focused on consumerism, typical of European countries.

However, in a time of increasing awareness of the impact of the current actions of the individual and society on others and on our planet, the wisdom offered by Jain dharma and philosophy is all the more relevant. The emphasis on values of ahiṃsā, anekāntavāda, and aparigraha, with their respective outcomes of pluralism and inclusiveness, peace and dialogue, and environmental ethics, becomes especially appealing in contemporary troubled realities and can find application in numerous ways.

The overall objective of our research project builds upon an appraisal of Jainism and its potential to offer responses to those social, cultural, intellectual and environmental challenges that are so often present in the contemporary European context. The project unfolds in two main directions: the first stage will focus on gathering and working on the existing material for a critical appraisal of academic works and research on Jainism produced in Italy and/or in Italian; the second stage aims to investigate and map distinctive practices of nonviolence in southern European Jain communities, with an initial focus on Italy.

The appraisal of Jain philosophy, combined with anthropological and social studies with various thematic focuses, includes a variety of methodologies and approaches that lead to close interaction with religious communities. A comprehensive cross-disciplinary venture with an integrative focus on Jain dharma, considered a dynamic set of values and practices, would allow the study of Jainism and ‘Jainness’ and their place and influence in our part of the world.

Jainism in Italy yesterday and today: a review of the literature

Since Indological studies have in Italy (and Turin) a great, longstanding tradition that flourished from the 19th century, we aim to delve into Italian Indologists’ research on Jainism (from the disciples of Weber and Jacobi’s school such as Pullè, Ballini, Suali, Belloni Filippi, to Tessitori and Della Casa). Furthermore, several unpublished works on Jainism and translations of manuscripts by renowned Italian scholars deserve to be given consideration while less acknowledged/unexplored contributions (including non-academic works) could offer new insights and liven up interest in the topic. The need to go beyond philological and historical concern calls for a comprehensive, multifaceted approach encompassing diverse dimensions (anthropological, sociological, environmental studies and ecology, etc…). One of the purposes of our research is to update this a review of the literature through interviews with authors, writers, and scholars.

A link between Italy and Jainism, which is particularly meaningful in our contemporary world, lies in The Assisi Declarations, a multi-confessional document, written for the WWF Network on Conservation and Religion, held in Assisi in 1986. During the meeting, five leaders of the five major world religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism – discussed how their faiths could and should help save the natural world. In the following years, the inter-religious dialogue on faith and nature expanded, and in 1990, The Jain Declaration on Nature was published to underline the philosophical relevance of non-violence in avoiding further ecological crises.

Jainism and ‘Jainness’ in Italy

The Jain community is among the most fragmented religious groups both within India and in the diaspora. The complex identities of Jain expat(riate)s and their overlapping with other different cultural systems deserve in-depth analysis. An investigation of Jain communities or Jain individuals in Italy and, possibly, of their distinctive practices can reveal new patterns of Jain life generated outside India. Surveys and studies among local Indian communities and relevant associations/organisations will address: the features and mission of Jain organisations in Italy, the existence of Jain converts or Jain sympathisers, the Jain presence in the Italian business scenario, the different ways in which new Jain generations live their faith in geographically and culturally distant contexts, and the relevance of Jain fundamental values, as a pluralistic and inclusive approach respectful of cultural integrity and distinctiveness, inspired by anekānta, in today’s Italian reality.