From a Jain point of view, the real “existence” of Jainism is not just temples or labels, but samyak darshan, samyak jñān, samyak chāritra (right faith, right knowledge, right conduct) living in people’s lives. Threats arise wherever these three become weak.

Below are important internal and external threats, in simple points:

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1. Internal threats (from within the Jain community)

(a) Jainism becoming only a “name” or “culture”

• Calling oneself Jain but:

- eating and earning without concern for hiṁsā, - not doing even basic daily sādhanā (sāmāyik, pratikraman, svādhyāy).

• When Jainism becomes only festival, food, dress, and social identity, its true soul (moksha-mārg) becomes weak.

(b) Dilution of core principles

• Ahimsa, Aparigraha, Satya, Brahmacharya taken lightly in the name of “modern life”.

- Supporting industries based on violence, - uncontrolled desire for luxury, show-off, - casual lying in business, - no restraint in sensual pleasures.

• If these are compromised continuously, Jain dharma turns into just a label, not a living path.

(c) Excessive ritualism without understanding

• Doing pūjā, ārti, jaap mechanically for show, status, or habit.
• Not learning:

- why we do pratikraman, - meaning of sutras, - tattvas (jīva, ajīva, punya, pāp, āsrava, bandha, samvar, nirjarā, moksha).

• When jñān (understanding) is missing, rituals do not lead to inner transformation, and younger generations lose interest.

(d) Ignoring Jain education for children

• Children taught only school/career, not:

- basic Jain stories and values, - meaning of ahimsa, anekānt, aparigraha, - importance of sādhu–sādhvī, upāśray, pravachan.

• If one generation grows up without shraddhā and gyān, the continuity of living Jainism is seriously threatened.

(e) Division and sectarian ego

• Fighting or looking down upon others as:

- “They are not ‘our’ panth,” - over small differences (mūrtipūjak / sthanakvasi, Digambar / Shwetambar, etc.).

• The real enemy is kaṣāya (anger, ego, deceit, greed), not other Jains.
• When unity in essence is lost, collective strength of Jain Sangh becomes weak.

(f) Worldly success overshadowing spiritual aim

• High focus on:

- business growth, property, status, politics, - very low focus on inner growth, compassion, tyāg, tapas.

• Jain scriptures repeatedly warn that moha (attachment) and parigraha darken right faith; if wealth becomes everything, dharma becomes secondary and eventually disappears from life.

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2. External threats (from outside conditions)

(a) Materialistic and violent lifestyle trends

• Society increasingly accepts:

- meat, alcohol, entertainment based on violence, - profit even with hiṁsā.

• Jains living in such an environment get constant pressure to “adjust” and slowly leave Jain ideals.

(b) Consumerism and pressure to imitate others

• Competitive lifestyle: “bigger house, newer car, latest fashion”.
• This directly clashes with aparigraha (non‑possessiveness) and santosh (contentment).
• Over time, it becomes hard to distinguish Jain values from general materialistic culture.

(c) Misunderstanding or misrepresenting Jainism

• Presenting Jainism as:

- only “not eating root vegetables”, - or just a “health diet” or “environmental philosophy”.

• While these are related, Jainism is much deeper: a complete moksha-mārg.
• If its spiritual depth is continuously simplified or distorted, its true form gets lost.

(d) Demographic and institutional weakening

• Very small population compared to world religions.
• If:

- temples, pathshalas, upāśrays are not maintained, - support to sādhus–sādhvīs, pravachans, granths decreases,

• then organized structures that protect and transmit Jain dharma become weak.

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3. According to Jain view: the deepest threat

According to Jain philosophy, the root threat is always internal:

• Rise of mithyātva (wrong belief),
• dominance of kaṣāya (anger, ego, deceit, greed),
• and neglect of self-effort (purushārtha) towards:

- right faith (samyak darshan), - right knowledge (samyak jñān), - right conduct (samyak chāritra).

As long as even a few people:

• protect ahimsa in thought, word, and deed,
• practice restraint (sanyam) and compassion (dayā),
• support the Jain Sangh (sādhu–sādhvī, shrāvaka–shrāvikā),

Jainism continues to exist in its true sense, even if numbers are small.

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4. What protects Jainism?

To counter these threats, each Jain can:

• Do nitya sādhanā: sāmāyik, pratikraman, svādhyāy (study).
• Learn and teach basic tattvas to family and children.
• Live as ahimsak and aparigrahi as realistically possible in present life.
• Respect all Jain sects, focus on common essentials.
• Support Jain institutions and ascetics who preserve shāsan.

If inner purity and understanding grow, the “existence” of Jainism remains safe, whatever the outer world may look like.