JAINISM.

Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma,is an ancient Indian religion. Followers of Jainism are called "Jains", a word derived from the Sanskrit word jina (victor) and connoting the path of victory in crossing over life's stream of rebirths through an ethical and spiritual life. Jains trace their history through a succession of twenty-four victorious saviors and teachers known as Tirthankaras, with the first being Rishabhanatha, who is believed to have lived millions of years ago, and twenty-fourth being the Mahavira around 500 BCE. Jains believe that Jainism is an eternal dharma with the Tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology.

527 BC

Jainism is somewhat similar to Buddhism, of which it was an important rival in India. It was founded by Vardhamana Jnatiputra or Nataputta Mahavira (599-527 BC), called Jina (Spiritual Conqueror), a contemporary of Buddha.

Jainism does not believe in God as a creator, survivor, and destroyer of the universe. However Jainism does believe in God, not as a creator, but as a perfect being. When a person destroys all his karmas, he becomes a liberated soul. He resides in a perfect blissful state in Moksha.

The main religious premises of Jainism are ahimsa ("non-violence"), anekantavada ("many-sidedness"), aparigraha ("non-attachment") and asceticism. Jain monastics, renunciants, and devout householders take five main vows known as vratas, outlined in their oldest surviving text, the Acaranga Sutra: ahimsa ("non-violence"), satya ("truth"), asteya ("not stealing"), brahmacharya ("celibacy or chastity"), and aparigraha ("non-attachment"). These principles have impacted Jain culture in many ways, such as leading to a predominantly vegetarian lifestyle that avoids harm to animals and their life cycles. Parasparopagraho Jivanam ("the function of souls is to help one another") is the motto of Jainism. Namokar Mantra is the most common and basic prayer in Jainism.

Jainism has two major ancient sub-traditions, Digambaras and Svetambaras; and several smaller sub-traditions that emerged in the 2nd millennium CE. The Digambaras and Svetambaras have different views on ascetic practices, gender and which Jain texts can be considered canonical. Jain mendicants are found in all Jain sub-traditions, with laypersons (śrāvakas) supporting the mendicants' spiritual pursuits with resources.

Jainism has between four and five million followers, with most Jains residing in India. Outside India, some of the largest Jain communities are present in Canada, Europe, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Suriname, Fiji, and the United States. Major Jain festivals include Paryushana and Daslakshana, Mahavir Jayanti, and Diwali.

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Jainism

Jain prayers ·         Bhaktamara Stotra ·         Micchami Dukkadam ·         Ṇamōkāra mantra ·         Jai Jinendra

Philosophy ·         Anekantavada ·         Cosmology ·         Ahimsa ·         Karma ·         Dharma ·         Mokṣa ·         Kevala Jnana ·         Dravya ·         Tattva ·         Brahmacharya ·         Aparigraha ·         Gunasthana ·         Saṃsāra

Ethics ·         Ethics of Jainism ·         Sallekhana

Major figures ·         The 24 Tirthankaras ·         Rishabha ·         Pārśva ·         Mahavira ·         Arihant ·         Ganadhara ·         Kundakunda ·         Siddhasena ·         Samantabhadra ·         Haribhadra ·         Yashovijaya

Major sects ·         Digambara ·         Śvētāmbara

Texts ·         Samayasāra(Digambara) ·         Pravachanasara(Digambara) ·         Agama(Shwetambara) ·         Tattvartha Sutra ·         Dravyasamgraha(Digambara) ·         Kalpa Sūtra(Shwetambara)

Festivals ·         Diwali ·         Mahavir Jayanti ·         Paryushana ·         Samvatsari

Pilgrimages Tirth ·         Abu ·         Palitana ·         Girnar ·         Shikharji ·         Shravanabelagola

The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes Ahimsa in Jainism. The word in the middle is ahimsa. The wheel represents the dharmachakra, which stands for the resolve to halt the saṃsāra ('transmigration') through relentless pursuit of truth and non-violence.

The principle of ahimsa (non-violence or non-injury) is a fundamental tenet of Jainism. It believes that one must abandon all violent activity, and without such a commitment to non-violence all religious behavior is worthless. In Jain theology, it does not matter how correct or defensible the violence may be, one must not kill any being, and "non-violence is one's highest religious duty".

Buddhism and Jainism are two ancient Indian religions that developed in Magadha (Bihar region) and continue to thrive in the modern times. Mahaviraand Gautama Buddha are generally accepted as contemporaries (circa 5th century BCE). Jainism and Buddhism share many features, terminology and ethical principles, but emphasize them differently. Both are śramaṇa ascetic traditions that believe it is possible to attain liberation from the cycle of rebirths and deaths (samsara) through spiritual and ethical disciplines. They differ in some core doctrines such as those on asceticism, Middle Way versus Anekantavada, self versus no-self (jiva, atta, anatta).

Jains believe that their religion is ancient and eternal with 24 Tirthankaras. Of the 24, the last two – Parshvanatha and Mahavira – are generally accepted as historical persons, with the 23rd Tirthankara pre-dating the Buddha and the Mahavira by probably some 250 years. Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha, the historical buddha, rediscovered the long forgotten dharma around the 5th century BCE, and began to teach it again. In Buddhism there were previous buddhas, too, 27 in total as described in the Buddhavamsa, the 14th book of the Khuddaka Nikāya. Buddhists also believe that Gautama Buddha had many previous rebirths as described in the Jataka Tales.