Members of Jainism 
emphasize the importance of all life, including plants and micro-organisms. This informs their beliefs of non-violence and self-control. While older members embrace the importance of spiritual traditions such as prayer to idols and honoring of monks, younger members are finding new movements to co-opt and modernize the religion.
The degree to which life is respected by a practicing Jains can be seen even in subtle ways such as refusing to take the grassy shortcut so as to not disturb plant life, or not squashing the fly on the wall. Young Jains are exploring the rationale behind their faith and finding agreement with movements such as veganism (with the additional prohibitions on eating onions, potatoes, and other roots that are sources of life), environmentalism, animal rights, and business ethics. These causes take the ethics found in the faith and give them specific aims; they work to change more than just minds, they hope to shape society.
Believers have gone from merely personal practices to activism on issues like factory farming and raising awareness of energy conservation techniques. Even considerations like how to approach something like road kill are given. This shows that the newness of a concern doesn’t prohibit it from being addressed by this faith that originated sometime around the 6th Century BCE.
ULC ministers are used to modern approaches to older religions, but there isn’t a strong movement in Jainism itself that is taking the lead on bridging old and new. Young Jains worry that more ritualistic practices might deter new members while others worry that the new causes could overshadow tradition that is steeped in symbolism. These different philosophies don’t seem to be causing a schism, something that has happened in the history of Jainism a number of times, and it seems like they could work together to direct the practices for Jains in the future. One concern is the value placed on monks in the faith, given that all life is equally sacred. While dedication to religious principles can surely be valued, it seems somewhat out of place that nuns aren’t given as much esteem. Perhaps starting with this imbalance, Jains both young and old can find a framework for tackling other issues.
Sources:
Claremont Lincoln University, Center for Jain Studies
Wikipedia
