History

• Jains believe that their founder, Vardhamana Mahavira (599-527 BCE) is the last of 24 holy teachers who came to teach the way of self mastery.
• Mahavira is not looked at exactly as a religious founder, but rather as a teacher who came to re-establish what had previously been taught
• Mahavira was a jina or “conqueror” who sought to give his followers a clear path to enlightenment
• Mahavira grew up in India where Hinduism was the dominant religion, however he was not satisfied with all aspects of the religion
• At the age of 30 he abandoned Hinduism and went to pursue his spiritual ambitions
• He became an ascetic – denying one’s self of food, clothing, and pleasure in order to achieve a higher spiritual goal
• He followed a very strict vegetarian diet, and gave up all his possessions except one piece of clothing and lead a life of intense meditation
• Meditation, the process of eliminating self-centered thinking and becoming united with the spirit that governs the universe, is one of the main spiritual practices of Jainism
• He reached enlightenment, jina, at the age of 42
• Mahavira’s life and teachings were dedicated to the art of non-violence
• He achieved “liberation” at the age of 72 when he died of gradual fasting.

Beliefs

• Jains are encouraged to follow the Five Practices:
  1. non-violence (ahimsa)
  2. truthfulness
  3. non-stealing
  4. celibacy
  5. non-possession

• Jains think ahimsa is the most intelligent and most noble path to liberation and can be seen in many aspects of everyday Jain life
• This involves a commitment to all life forms on earth.
• Ahimsa has influenced many individuals and social justice movements (Ghandi, M.L.K. jr., the social justice movement)

• Jains believe in karma (every action has a consequesnce)
• Jains believe in reincarnation (an individuals eternal soul, or jiva, is reborn into different bodies over many lifetimes)

• Jains believe the goal of one’s life is to achieve moksha which is the salvation from the cycle of rebirth.  This is achieved through meditation

• Jains believe that everything, including atoms, have a jiva (soul) – this connects everything on the planet and connects the physical and spiritual worlds.

• Jains believe that all truths depend on perspective and therefore there is nothing that is absolute

Milestones and Symbols

Sallekhana

• The process of gradually fasting until death
• This is considered a holy and sacred practice
• Usually only practiced by spiritually fit individuals such as monks and nuns.
• Not considered suicide, instead seen as liberation and achievement and complete separation from worldly possessions.
• Individuals die in meditation
• A person with an eating disorder is not participating in Sallekhana

Sacred Texts

• Different sects in Jainism believe in different sacred writings
• The skyclad sect believes the Satkandagama and

Kasay-aprabhrta are sacred

• The whiteclad sect believe the Āgama (tradition) is also sacred

Currently

• There are approximately 4 million Jains in the world
• Most Jains live in India, with smaller populations in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States

William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)

William completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in 2013. He current serves as a lecturer, tutor and freelance writer. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking his dog and parasailing. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

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