Jainism

Jainism (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell),<ref>Template:Cite OED</ref> also known as Jain Dharma,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> is an Indian religion which teaches a path toward spiritual purification. Its salvational goal for ascetics is to reach moksha (liberation), while for most Jain laypersons it is to accumulate good karma that leads to better rebirth and a step closer to liberation.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn According to Jain beliefs, vibrational energy (virya) draws karmic particles to the soul and creates bondages.Template:Sfn Purification of soul from karmic particles and thereby liberation can be achieved through ratnatraya, the path of the three jewels,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn namely samyak darśana, correct faith in the Jain teachings; samyak gyana, correct knowledge and understanding of those teachings; and samyak charitra, correct conduct, behavior consistent with the five vows.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn The core of Jainism is also summarized in the three tenets of Template:Tlit (nonviolence), Template:Tlit (non-attachment), and Template:Tlit, a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality.

Jains consider Jainism to be an eternal dharma, with the Template:Tlit guiding every time cycle of the cosmology. In Jain cosmology, there is a succession of twenty-four Template:Tlit, supreme preachers of dharma, across the avasarpiṇī, the descending half of the time cycle in which the good and religion are decreasing. The first Template:Tlit in the current cycle is Rishabhadeva, who tradition holds lived millions of years ago; the 23rd Template:Tlit is Parshvanatha, traditionally dated to the 9th century BCE; and the 24th Template:Tlit is Mahavira, who lived Template:Circa.

Historically, Jainism was one of a number of Śramaṇa religions that developed in the Greater Magadha cultural region.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Jainism has two major sub-traditions, Digambaras and Śvētāmbaras, which hold different views on ascetic practices, gender, and the texts considered canonical. Both sub-traditions have mendicants supported by laypersons (Template:Tlit and Template:Tlit). The Śvētāmbara tradition in turn has two sub-traditions: Deravasi, also known as Mandirmargis, and Sthānakavasī.Template:Sfn The Digambara-texts attributed to Kundakunda inspired Shrimad Rajchandra (1867-1901), who in turn influenced Kanji Swami (Kanji Path), Dada Bhagwan,Template:Sfn Rakesh Jhaveri (Shrimad Rajchandra Mission), Saubhagbhai, Lalluji Maharaj (Laghuraj Swami), Atmanandji and several other religious figures. According to Bauer, "[in] recent years there has been a convergence of the Kanji Swami Panth and the Shrimad Rajcandra movement, part of trend toward a more eucumenical and less sectarian Jainism among educated, mobile Jains living overseas."Template:Sfn

Currently, the religion has between four and five million followers, known as Jains or Jainas, who reside mostly in India, where they numbered around 4.5 million at the 2011 census. Outside India, some of the largest Jain communities can be found in Canada, Europe, and the United States. Japan is also home to a fast-growing community of converts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Major festivals include Paryushana and Das Lakshana, Ashtanika, Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, Akshaya Tritiya, and Diwali. Template:TOC-limit

Etymology

The name Jainism comes fromji (Sanskrit), "to conquer," referring to the battle against the passions and bodily desires, aiming to reach omniscience. Those few who accomplish this are called jina, "conqueror." Adherents are called jain or jaina, "follower of the conquerors," a term which replaced the older name nirgrantha, bondless, which was only used for ascetic wanderers.Template:Sfn

Followers of Jainism are called "Jains", a word derived from the Sanskrit verbal root ji, which means to conquer. In the Jain context, monks have to conquer their senses and karma for liberation. Those who have succeeded are jinas (victors), which means an omniscient person who teaches the path of salvation, and their followers are Jains.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Jain Doctrine and Philosophy

Ratnatraya (The Three Jewels)

File:Ahimsa Jainism.svg

The hand symbolizes Ahiṃsā, the wheel dharmachakra, the resolve to halt saṃsāra (transmigration).

The spiritual goal in Jainism is to reach moksha for ascetics, but for most Jain laypersons, it is to accumulate good karma that leads to better rebirth and a step closer to liberation.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Purification of soul and liberation can be achieved through the three jewels (ratnatraya):Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn samyak darśana, right vision or faith in the Jain teachingsTemplate:Sfn or scriptures,Template:Sfn more specifically the seven tattvas;Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Efn samyak gyana, right knowledge and understanding of the Jain teachings,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn more specifically of self (jiva) and non-self (ajiva);Template:Sfn and samyak charitra, correct conduct, behavior consistent with these teachinngs and the five vows.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Jain texts often add samyak tapas (correct asceticism) as a fourth jewel, emphasizing belief in ascetic practices as the means to liberation (moksha).Template:Sfn The four jewels are called Moksha Marga (the path of liberation).Template:Sfn

The core of Jainism is also summarized in the three tenets of Template:Tlit (nonviolence), Template:Tlit (asceticism), and Template:Tlit, a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality.

Core Principles (The Vows)

File:Nishidhi stone with 14th century Old Kannada inscription from Tavanandi forest.JPG

Nishidhi stone, depicting the vow of sallekhana, 14th century, Karnataka

Jainism teaches five ethical duties, which it calls five vows. These are called anuvratas (small vows) for Jain laypersons, and mahavratas (great vows) for Jain mendicants.Template:Sfn For both, its moral precepts preface that the Jain has access to a guru (teacher, counsellor), deva (Jina, god), doctrine, and that the individual is free from five offences: doubts about the faith, indecisiveness about the truths of Jainism, insincerity of desire for Jain teachings, non-recognition of fellow Jains, and insufficient admiration of fellow Jains' spiritual endeavors.Template:Sfn Such a person undertakes the following Five vows of Jainism:

1. Ahiṃsā, "intentional non-violence" or "noninjury":Template:Sfn The first major vow taken by Jains is to cause no harm to other human beings, as well as all living beings (particularly animals).Template:Sfn This is the highest ethical duty in Jainism, and it applies not only to one's actions, but demands that one be non-violent in one's speech and thoughts.<ref name=pkshah5v>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
2. Satya, "truth": This vow is to always speak the truth. Neither lie, nor speak what is not true, and do not encourage others or approve anyone who speaks an untruth.Template:Sfn<ref name=pkshah5v/>Template:Sfn
3. Asteya, "not stealing": A Jain layperson should not take anything that is not willingly given.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Additionally, a Jain mendicant should ask for permission to take it if something is being given.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
4. Brahmacharya, "celibacy": Abstinence from sex and sensual pleasures is prescribed for Jain monks and nuns. For laypersons, the vow means chastity, faithfulness to one's partner.Template:Sfn<ref name=pkshah5v/>Template:Sfn
5. Aparigraha, "non-possessiveness": This includes non-attachment to material and psychological possessions, avoiding craving and greed.Template:Sfn Jain monks and nuns completely renounce property and social relations, own nothing and are attached to no one.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Jainism prescribes seven supplementary vows, including three guņa vratas (merit vows) and four śikşā vratas.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Sallekhana (or Santhara) vow is a "religious death" ritual observed at the end of life, historically by Jain monks and nuns, but rare in the modern age.Template:Sfn In this vow, there is voluntary and gradual reduction of food and liquid intake to end one's life by choice and with dispassion,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn This is believed to reduce negative karma that affects a soul's future rebirths.Template:Sfn

Ahimsa - non-violence

The principle of ahimsa (non-violence or non-injury) is a fundamental tenet of Jainism.Template:Sfn It holds that one must abandon all violent activity and that without such a commitment to non-violence all religious behavior is worthless.Template:Sfn In Jain theology, it does not matter how correct or defensible the violence may be, one must not kill or harm any being, and non-violence is the highest religious duty.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Jain texts such as Ācārāṅga Sūtra and Tattvarthasūtra state that one must renounce all killing of living beings, whether tiny or large, movable or immovable.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Its theology teaches that one must neither kill another living being, nor cause another to kill, nor consent to any killing directly or indirectly.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Furthermore, Jainism emphasizes non-violence against all beings not only in action but also in speech and in thought.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn It states that instead of hate or violence against anyone, "all living creatures must help each other".Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

Jains believe that violence negatively affects and destroys one's soul, particularly when the violence is done with intent, hate or carelessness, or when one indirectly causes or consents to the killing of a human or non-human living being.Template:Sfn

The doctrine exists in Hinduism and Buddhism, but is most highly developed in Jainism.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn The theological basis of non-violence as the highest religious duty has been interpreted by some Jain scholars not to "be driven by merit from giving or compassion to other creatures, nor a duty to rescue all creatures", but resulting from "continual self-discipline", a cleansing of the soul that leads to one's own spiritual development which ultimately affects one's salvation and release from rebirths.Template:Sfn Jains believe that causing injury to any being in any form creates bad karma which affects one's rebirth, future well-being and causes suffering.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Late medieval Jain scholars re-examined the Ahiṃsā doctrine when faced with external threat or violence. For example, they justified violence by monks to protect nuns.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn According to Dundas, the Jain scholar Jinadattasuri wrote during a time of destruction of temples and persecution that "anybody engaged in a religious activity who was forced to fight and kill somebody would not lose any spiritual merit but instead attain deliverance".Template:Sfn

However, examples in Jain texts that condone fighting and killing under certain circumstances are relatively rare.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

Aparigraha - non-attachment

The third main principle in Jainism is aparigraha which means non-attachment to worldly possessions.Template:Sfn For monks and nuns, Jainism requires a vow of complete non-possession of any property, relations and emotions.Template:Sfn The ascetic is a wandering mendicant in the Digambara tradition, or a resident mendicant in the Śvētāmbara tradition.Template:Sfn For Jain laypersons, it recommends limited possession of property that has been honestly earned, and giving excess property to charity.Template:Sfn According to Natubhai Shah, aparigraha applies to both the material and the psychic. Material possessions refer to various forms of property. Psychic possessions refer to emotions, likes and dislikes, and attachments of any form. Unchecked attachment to possessions is said to result in direct harm to one's personality.Template:Sfn

Metaphysics and Cosmology

Template:Main Jain metaphysics explains the nature of the universe and its interaction with the soul (jiva).Template:Sfn It posits that the soul is an eternal entity that is separate from the body and the physical world.Template:Sfn Their interaction is what defines the cycle of rebirth (Saṃsāra).Template:Sfn

Soul and karma

Template:Main Jainism, like other Indian religions, believes in karma, but with a unique and fundamental difference. It is the only tradition that conceives of karma as a physical, material substance — subtle, invisible particles of matter (pudgala) that exist in the universe.Template:Sfn These particles are drawn to the soul (jiva) by its actions, thoughts, and words.Template:Sfn

This "karmic dirt" then sticks to the soul, obscuring its innate, pure qualities of consciousness and bliss.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn This bondage of karma is the cause of the soul's entrapment in Saṃsāra and its repeated cycles of birth and death.Template:Sfn

The Tattvas (Fundamental Truths)

Template:Main The tattvas are the seven (or nine) fundamental truths that form the basis of the entire Jain path. They describe the step-by-step process of karmic bondage and liberation:Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

1. Jīva — The living, sentient soul.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
2. Ajīva — Non-living substances, including matter, time, and karma.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
3. Āsrava — The influx or inflow of karmic particles to the soul.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
4. Bandha — The bondage of these karmic particles to the soul.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
5. Saṃvara — The stoppage of new karmic inflow (achieved by vows and discipline).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
6. Nirjarā — The shedding or purification of existing, bound karma (achieved by asceticism).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
7. Moksha — The complete liberation of the soul, freeing it from all karma to regain its pure, omniscient state.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Some texts add two more categories, Punya (good karma) and Paapa (bad karma), as sub-types of Āsrava and Bandha, making nine tattvas in total.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Saṃsāra (Cycle of Rebirth)

File:Jiva.jpg

Classification of Saṃsāri Jīvas (transmigrating souls) in Jainism

Template:Main Saṃsāra is the doctrine of the worldly cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, through which the soul transmigrates based on its karma.Template:Sfn This cycle is considered the natural state of existence, but it is also one of suffering, and the ultimate aim of Jainism is liberation (Moksha) from it.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

According to Jain tradition, souls can be reborn in one of four states of existence (gatis): as heavenly beings, humans, animals/plants, or hellish beings.Template:Sfn Jain theosophy also describes a vast number of potential birth-situations, traditionally 8.4 million, through which the unliberated soul cycles.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Jain philosophy also uniquely posits the existence of abhavya (incapable) souls, a category of souls that are eternally trapped in Saṃsāra and can never attain liberation.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Cosmology: Substance, Time, and Realms

Template:Main Jain cosmology views the universe as an uncreated, eternal, and self-sustaining entity.Template:Sfn It was never created by a god and will never be destroyed.Template:Sfn

This universe is composed of six eternal substances known as dravya:

1. Jīva (the living soul)Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
2. Pudgala (non-sentient matter)Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
3. Dharma (the principle of motion)Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
4. Adharma (the principle of rest)Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
5. Ākāśa (space)Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
6. Kāla (time)Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

File:Jain Cosmic Time Cycle.jpg

Division of time in Jain cosmology

Kāla (time) is itself conceived as a boundless, eternal wheel (kālachakra) that rotates ceaselessly.Template:Sfn It is divided into two half-cycles: an ascending arc (utsarpiṇī) of progressive happiness and virtue, and a descending arc (avasarpiṇī) of progressive sorrow and decline.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

File:Jain universe.JPG

Rebirth loka (realms of existence) in Jain cosmologyTemplate:Sfn

The universe itself is structurally divided into three realms, or lokas: the Urdhva Loka (upper world of heavenly beings), the Madhya Loka (middle world of humans, animals, and plants), and the Adho Loka (lower world of hellish beings).Template:Sfn All unliberated souls, including gods and demons, transmigrate through these three realms based on their karma.Template:Sfn

Epistemology (Philosophy of Knowledge)

Jain philosophy accepts three reliable means of knowledge (pramana). It holds that correct knowledge is based on perception (pratyaksa), inference (anumana), and testimony (sabda or the word of scriptures).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn These ideas are elaborated in Jain texts such as Tattvarthasūtra, Parvacanasara, Nandi and Anuyogadvarini.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Some Jain texts add analogy (upamana) as the fourth reliable means, in a manner similar to epistemological theories found in other Indian religions.Template:Sfn

In Jainism, jnāna (knowledge) is said to be of five kinds—mati jñāna (sensory knowledge), śrutu jñāna (scriptural knowledge), avadhi jñāna (clairvoyance), manah prayāya Jñāna (telepathy) and kevala jnana (omniscience).Template:Sfn According to the Jain text Tattvartha sūtra, the first two are indirect knowledge, and the remaining three are direct knowledge.Template:Sfn

Anekāntavāda - many-sided reality

File:Medieval Jain temple Anekantavada doctrine artwork.jpg

Jain temple painting explaining Anekantavada with Blind men and an elephant

The second main principle of Jainism is anekāntavāda,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn from anekānta ("many-sidedness," etymologically "non-oneness" or "not being one") and vada ("doctrine").Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The doctrine states that truth and reality are complex and always have multiple aspects. It further states that reality can be experienced, but cannot be fully expressed with language. It suggests that human attempts to communicate are Naya, "partial expression of the truth".Template:Sfn According to it, one can experience the taste of truth, but cannot fully express that taste through language. It holds that attempts to express experience are syāt, or valid "in some respect", but remain "perhaps, just one perspective, incomplete".<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> It concludes that in the same way, spiritual truths can be experienced but not fully expressed.Template:Sfn It suggests that the great error is belief in ekānta (one-sidedness), where some relative truth is treated as absolute.Template:Sfn The doctrine is ancient, found in Buddhist texts such as the Samaññaphala Sutta. The Jain Agamas suggest that Mahāvīra's approach to answering all metaphysical philosophical questions was a "qualified yes" (syāt).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn These texts identify anekāntavāda as a key difference from the Buddha's teachings. The Buddha taught the Middle Way, rejecting extremes of the answer "it is" or "it is not" to metaphysical questions. The Mahāvīra, in contrast, taught his followers to accept both "it is", and "it is not", qualified with "perhaps", to understand Absolute Reality.Template:Sfn The permanent being is conceptualized as jiva (soul) and ajiva (matter) within a dualistic anekāntavāda framework.Template:Sfn

According to Paul Dundas, in contemporary times the anekāntavāda doctrine has been interpreted by some Jains as intending to "promote a universal religious tolerance", and a teaching of "plurality" and "benign attitude to other [ethical, religious] positions". Dundas states this is a misreading of historical texts and Mahāvīra's teachings.Template:Sfn According to him, the "many pointedness, multiple perspective" teachings of the Mahāvīra is about the nature of absolute reality and human existence.Template:Sfn He claims that it is not about condoning activities such as killing animals for food, nor violence against disbelievers or any other living being as "perhaps right".Template:Sfn The five vows for Jain monks and nuns, for example, are strict requirements and there is no "perhaps" about them.Template:Sfn Similarly, since ancient times, Jainism co-existed with Buddhism and Hinduism according to Dundas, but Jainism disagreed, in specific areas, with the knowledge systems and beliefs of these traditions, and vice versa.Template:Sfn

Concept of God (and Tirthankaras)

File:Jain 24-Tirthankaras.jpg

Jain miniature painting of 24 tirthankaras, Jaipur, Template:Circa

Jainism is a transtheistic religion,Template:Sfn holding that the universe was not created, and will exist forever.Template:Sfn The universe is independent, having no creator, governor, judge, or destroyer.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In this, it is unlike the Abrahamic religions and the theistic strands of Hinduism, but similar to Buddhism.Template:Sfn However, Jainism believes in the world of heavenly and hellish beings who are born, die, and reborn like earthly beings.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The souls who live happily in the body of a heavenly celestial do so because of their positive karma.Template:Sfn It is further stated that they possess a more transcendent knowledge about material things and can anticipate events in the human realms.Template:Sfn However, once their past karmic merit is exhausted, it is explained that their souls are reborn again as humans, animals, or other beings.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The perfect enlightened souls with a body are called Arihants (victors) and perfect souls without a body are called Siddhas (liberated souls). Only a soul with a human body can attain enlightenment and liberation. The liberated beings are the supreme beings and are worshipped by all heavenly, earthly, and hellish beings who aspire to attain liberation themselves.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

History

Jainism is a religion founded in ancient India. Jains trace their history through twenty-four tirthankaras and revere Rishabhanatha as the first tirthankara (in the present time-cycle). Some artifacts found in the Indus River Valley civilization have been suggested as a link to ancient Jain culture, but very little is known about the Indus Valley iconography and script. The last two tirthankaras, the 23rd tirthankara Parshvanatha (c. 9th–8th century BCE) and the 24th tirthankara Mahavira (c. 599 – c. 527 BCE) are historical figures. Mahavira was a contemporary of the Buddha. According to Jain texts, the 22nd Tirthankara Neminatha lived about 85,000 years ago and was the cousin of Krishna.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Origins: Parshvanatha and Mahavira

Jainism is an ancient Indian religion of obscure origins.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Jains claim it to be eternal, and consider the first tirthankara Rishabhanatha as the reinforcer of Jain Dharma in the current time cycle.Template:Sfn It is one of the Śramaṇa traditions of ancient India, those that rejected the Vedas,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and according to the twentieth-century scholar of comparative religion Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Jainism was in existence before the Vedas were composed.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Efn

The first twenty two tirthankaras are not considered by non-Jain scholars as historical figures.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The 23rd Tirthankara, Parshvanatha, was likely a historical being,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn dated by the Jain tradition to the ninth century BCE;Template:Sfn historians date him to the eighth or seventh century BCE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Parshvanatha may have founded a proto-Jain ascetic community which subsequently got revived and reformed by Mahavira.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Mahāvīra is considered a contemporary of the Buddha, in around the sixth or 5th century BCE.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The interaction between the two religions began with the Buddha;Template:Sfn later, they competed for followers and the merchant trade networks that sustained them.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Buddhist and Jain texts sometimes have the same or similar titles but present different doctrines.Template:Sfn

Kings Bimbisara (Template:Circa–491 BCE), Ajatashatru (Template:Circa–460 BCE), and Udayin (Template:Circa–440 BCE) of the Haryanka dynasty were patrons of Jainism.Template:Sfn Jain tradition states that Chandragupta Maurya (322–298 BCE), the founder of the Mauryan Empire and grandfather of Ashoka, became a monk and disciple of Jain ascetic Bhadrabahu in the later part of his life.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Jain texts state that he died intentionally at Shravanabelagola by fasting.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Epigraphic and Archaeological Evidence

The historicity of Jainism is supported by epigraphic and archaeological evidence.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Hathigumpha Inscription at the Udayagiri Caves in Odisha, dated to the 2nd century BCE, is a key piece of early evidence.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn This inscription, from King Kharavela of Kalinga, details his patronage of Jain monks.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn It also provides a historical reference by mentioning the retrieval of a Jina idol taken from Kalinga by a Nanda dynasty king (c. 4th century BCE).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Additionally, excavations at Kankali Tila in Mathura have provided extensive archaeological evidence of an early Jain center.Template:Sfn The site yielded numerous Jain stupas, statues, and ayagapatas (votive tablets) dating from the 2nd century BCE to the 2nd century CE.Template:Sfn These tablets, commissioned by lay followers (śrāvakas), represent early physical evidence of an organized sangha (community) that included monks, nuns, and laity.Template:Sfn

The third century BCE emperor Ashoka, in his pillar edicts, mentions the Niganthas (Jains).Template:Sfn Tirthankara statues date back to the second century BCE.Template:Sfn Archeological evidence suggests that Mathura was an important Jain center from the second century BCE. onwards.Template:Sfn Inscriptions from as early as the first century CE already show the schism between Digambara and Śvētāmbara.Template:Sfn There is inscriptional evidence for the presence of Jain monks in south India by the second or first centuries BCE, and archaeological evidence of Jain monks in Saurashtra in Gujarat by the second century CE.Template:Sfn

• Rishabhdev, believed to have lived over 592.704×1018 years ago, is considered the traditional founder of Jainism.
  Rishabhdev, believed to have lived over 592.704×10¹⁸ years ago, is considered the traditional founder of Jainism.
• Jain inscription of Ashoka (Template:Circa)
  Jain inscription of Ashoka (Template:Circa)
• Chaumukha Sculpture with Four Jinas (Rishabhanatha (Adinatha), Parshvanatha, Neminatha, and Mahavira), LACMA, sixth century
  Chaumukha Sculpture with Four Jinas (Rishabhanatha (Adinatha), Parshvanatha, Neminatha, and Mahavira), LACMA, sixth century
• Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves built by King Kharavela of Mahameghavahana dynasty in second century CE
  Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves built by King Kharavela of Mahameghavahana dynasty in second century CE
• The Indra Sabha cave at the Ellora Caves are co-located with Hindu and Buddhist monuments.
  The Indra Sabha cave at the Ellora Caves are co-located with Hindu and Buddhist monuments.
• Kazhugumalai Jain beds
  Kazhugumalai Jain beds

Sects and Traditions (The Primary Division)

The Jain community is divided into two major denominations, Digambara and Śvētāmbara.Template:Sfn This schism is ancient and centers on differing monastic disciplines, canonical scriptures, and core doctrines (such as the liberation of women).Template:Sfn

• The Digambara (sky-clad) tradition holds that male monks must renounce all possessions, including clothes, to practice achailakya (nudity).Template:Sfn Female monastics, known as Aryikas, wear unstitched plain white sarees.Template:Sfn
• The Śvētāmbara (white-clad) tradition holds that monastics, both male and female, may wear simple, seamless white robes (sachailakya).Template:Sfn

The Great Schism: Traditional Accounts

The Digambara tradition places the origin of the schism around the 4th century BCE.Template:Sfn According to their account, Acharya Bhadrabahu predicted a twelve-year famine in Magadha and led a migration of monks to Karnataka.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Sthulabhadra, a pupil, remained behind with other monks.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Digambara tradition holds that Sthulabhadra's northern group relaxed the original practice of nudity and began wearing white clothes, which was unacceptable to the returning monks who had preserved the mūla sangha (original community).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In this view, the Digambaras preserved the original achailakya (nude) practice of Mahavira, while the Svetambaras adopted a more lax, clothed practice.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The earliest record of Digambara beliefs is contained in the Prakrit Suttapahuda of Kundakunda.Template:Sfn

The Svetambara tradition, in texts like the Viśeṣāvaśyaka Bhāṣya (5th cent. CE), places the schism much later.Template:Cn Their account states the Digambara sect arose 609 years after Mahavira's nirvana (c. 1st-2nd cent. CE), founded by a monk named Sivabhuti.Template:Cn The narrative states that Sivabhuti, in a "fit of pique," adopted nudity, which his original tradition rejected.Template:SfnTemplate:PnTemplate:SfnTemplate:PnTemplate:SfnTemplate:PnTemplate:Sfn Svetambara texts accuse this new sect of "eight concealments," including the rejection of the canonical texts preserved by their tradition and the new doctrine that women could not attain liberation.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:PnTemplate:Sfn

Scholarly Analysis and Solidification

Most modern scholars, such as Padmanabh Jaini and Paul Dundas, conclude that the schism was not a single "event" but a gradual hardening of differences over several centuries.Template:Sfn Monastic nudity and the wearing of robes likely co-existed as acceptable monastic options for some time.Template:Sfn Archaeological evidence from Mathura, for instance, shows nude tirthankara images from the Kushan Empire (c. 1st century CE).<ref>The Jaina Stupa at Mathura: Art and Icons, Renuka Porwal, Prachya Vidyapeeth, Shajapur, 2016</ref>

The definitive, formal split is often associated with the Council of Vallabhi in the 5th century CE.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn This council was organized by the Svetambara tradition to formally codify their canonical scriptures (the Agamas).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Digambara tradition, which had its own (and different) scriptural canon, did not attend and rejected the authenticity of these texts, solidifying the schism.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Key Doctrinal and Practical Differences

Digambaras and Śvētāmbara differ in their practices and dress code,Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn interpretations of teachings,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and on Jain history especially concerning the tirthankaras.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Their monasticism rules differ,Template:Sfn as does their iconography.Template:Sfn Śvētāmbara has had more female than male mendicants,Template:Sfn where Digambara has mostly had male monksTemplate:Sfn and considers males closest to the soul's liberation.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Śvētāmbaras believe that women can also achieve liberation through asceticismTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn and state that the 19th Tirthankara Māllīnātha was female,Template:Sfn which Digambara rejects.Template:Sfn Early Jain images from Mathura depict Digambara iconography until late fifth century CE where Svetambara iconography starts appearing.Template:Sfn

Several scholars and scriptures of other religions as well as those of their counterpart Śvetāmbara Jains<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> criticize Digambara sect's practices of public nudity as well as their belief that women are incapable of attaining spiritual liberation.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Excavations at Mathura revealed Jain statues from the time of the Kushan Empire (c.Template:Nbsp1st century CE).Template:Sfn Tirthankara represented without clothes, and monks with cloth wrapped around the left arm, are identified as the Ardhaphalaka (half-clothed) mentioned in texts.Template:Sfn The Yapaniyas, believed to have originated from the Ardhaphalaka, followed Digambara nudity along with several Śvētāmbara beliefs.Template:Sfn In the modern era, according to Flügel, new Jain religious movements that are a "primarily devotional form of Jainism" have developed which resemble "Jain Mahayana" style devotionalism.Template:Sfn

Medieval Patronage and Decline

Royal patronage has been a key factor in the growth and decline of Jainism.Template:Sfn In the second half of the first century CE, Hindu kings of the Rashtrakuta dynasty sponsored major Jain cave temples.Template:Sfn King Harshavardhana of the seventh century championed Jainism, Buddhism and all traditions of Hinduism.Template:Sfn The Pallava King Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) converted from Jainism to Shaivism.Template:Sfn His work Mattavilasa Prahasana ridicules certain Shaiva sects and the Buddhists and expresses contempt for Jain ascetics.Template:Sfn The Yadava dynasty built many temples at the Ellora Caves between 700 and 1000 CE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn King Āma of the eighth century converted to Jainism, and the Jain pilgrimage tradition was well established in his era.Template:Sfn Mularaja (10th century CE), the founder of the Chalukya dynasty, constructed a Jain temple, even though he was not a Jain.Template:Sfn During the 11th century, Basava, a minister to the Jain Kalachuri king Bijjala, converted many Jains to the Lingayat Shaivite sect. The Lingayats destroyed Jain temples and adapted them to their use.Template:Sfn The Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana (Template:Circa–1152 CE) became a Vaishnavite under the influence of Ramanuja, and Vaishnavism then grew rapidly in what is now Karnataka.Template:Sfn

Jain monuments in Nagarparkar, Pakistan

The ruins of Gori Jain temples in Nagarparkar, Pakistan, a pilgrimage site before 1947<ref name=":0"/>

Jainism faced persecution during and after the Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent. The scholarship in context of Jain relations with the ruler of Delhi Sultanate remains scarce, notwithstanding there were several instances of cordial relations of Jains with prominent rulers of the Sultanate. Alauddin Khalji (1296–1316), as attested by the Jain texts held discussions with Jain sages and once specially summoned Acharya Mahasena to Delhi.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> One more prominent Jain figure Acharya Ramachandra Suri was also honored by him. During his reign, his governor of Gujarat, Alp Khan permitted the reconstruction of the temples razed during earlier Muslim conquests and himself made huge donation for the renovation of Jain temples.<ref name=Pushpa>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325–1351) according to the Jain chronicles favoured the Jain scholars.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The Mughal emperors in general were influenced by the Jain scholars and made patronage and grants for their pilgrimage sites under Humayun (1540–1556), Akbar (1556–1605), Jahangir (1605–1627) and even Aurangzeb (1658–1707).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite this, there were instances of religious bigotry during the Mughal rule towards Jains. Babur (1526–1530), the first Mughal emperor ordered the destruction of various Jain idols in Gwalior.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1567, Akbar ravaged the fort of Chittor. After the conquest of the fort, Akbar ordered the destruction of several Jain shrines and temples in Chittor.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Similarly there were instances of desecration of Jain religious shrines under Jahangir, Shah Jahan and most notably under Aurangzeb.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The Jain community were the traditional bankers and financiers, and this significantly impacted the Muslim rulers. However, they rarely were a part of the political power during the Islamic rule period of the Indian subcontinent.Template:Sfn

Colonial era

File:Virchand Gandhi poster.jpg

A poster of Virchand Gandhi, who represented Jainism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893

File:Shrimad Rajchandra Spiritual Centre (cropped).jpg

A 34-foot-tall idol of Shrimad Rajchandra at Dharampur, Valsad

A Gujarati Jain scholar, Virchand Gandhi, represented Jainism at the first World Parliament of Religions in 1893, held in America during the Chicago World's Fair. He worked to defend the rights of Jains and wrote and lectured extensively on Jainism.<ref name=it>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=OpenCourt>Template:Cite book</ref>

Shrimad Rajchandra, a mystic, poet and philosopher from Gujarat is believed to have attained jatismaran gnana (ability to recollect past lives) at the age of seven. Virchand Gandhi mentioned this feat at the Parliament of the World's Religions.<ref name="KarbhariGāndhī1911">Template:Cite book</ref> He is best known because of his association with Mahatma Gandhi.Template:Sfn Shrimad Rajchandra composed Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra, considered his magnum opus, containing the essence of Jainism in a single sitting of 1.5–2 hours.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He expounds on the six fundamental truths of the soul:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

1. Self (soul) exists
2. It is permanent and eternal
3. It is the doer of its own actions
4. It is the enjoyer or the sufferer of its actions
5. Liberation exists
6. There is a path to achieve liberation.

Colonial era reports and Christian missions variously viewed Jainism as a sect of Hinduism, a sect of Buddhism, or a distinct religion.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Christian missionaries were frustrated at Jain people without pagan creator gods refusing to convert to Christianity, while colonial era Jain scholars such as Champat Rai Jain defended Jainism against criticism and misrepresentation by Christian activists.Template:Sfn Missionaries of Christianity and Islam considered Jain traditions idolatrous and superstitious.Template:Sfn These criticisms, states John E. Cort, were flawed and ignored similar practices within sects of Christianity.Template:Sfn

The British colonial government in India and Indian princely states promoted religious tolerance. However, laws were passed that made roaming naked by anyone an arrestable crime. This drew popular support from the majority Hindu population, but particularly impacted Digambara monks.Template:Sfn The Akhil Bharatiya Jain Samaj opposed this law, claiming that it interfered with Jain religious rights. Acharya Shantisagar entered Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1927, but was forced to cover his body. He then led an India-wide tour as the naked monk with his followers, to various Digambara sacred sites, and was welcomed by kings of the Maharashtra provinces.Template:Sfn Shantisagar fasted to oppose the restrictions imposed on Digambara monks by the British Raj and prompted their discontinuance.Template:Sfn The laws were abolished by India after independence.Template:Sfn

Modern era

The texts attributed to Kundakunda inspired two contemporary lay-movements within Jainism with his notion of two truths and his emphasis on direct insight into niścayanaya or ‘ultimate perspective’, also called “supreme” (paramārtha) and “pure” (śuddha).Template:Efn

Shrimad Rajchandra (1867-1901) was a Jain poet and mystic who was inspired by works of Kundakunda and Digambara mystical tradition. Nominally belonging to the Digambara tradition,Template:Sfn his followers sometimes consider his teaching as a new path of Jainism, neither Śvetāmbara nor Digambara, and revere him as a saint. His path is sometimes referred as Raj Bhakta Marg, Kavipanth, or Shrimadiya, which has mostly lay followers as was Rajchandra himself.Template:Sfn His teachings influenced Kanji Swami, Dada Bhagwan,Template:Sfn Rakesh Jhaveri (Shrimad Rajchandra Mission), Saubhagbhai, Lalluji Maharaj (Laghuraj Swami), Atmanandji and several other religious figures.

Kanji Panth is a lay movement founded by Kanji Swami (1890-1980).Template:Sfn Nominally it belongs to the Śvetāmbara<ref name="philtar_Jainism"/> but is inspired by Kundakunda and Shrimad Rajchandra (1867-1901), though "lacking a place in any Digambara ascetic lineage descending from Kundakunda."Template:Sfn Kanji Swami has many followers in the Jain diaspora.Template:Sfn They generally regard themselves simply as Digambara Jains, more popularly known as Mumukshu, following the mystical tradition of Kundakunda and Pandit Todarmal.Template:Sfn

Bauer notes that "[in] recent years there has been a convergence of the Kanji Swami Panth and the Shrimad Rajcandra movement, part of trend toward a more eucumenical and less sectarian Jainism among educated, mobile Jains living overseas."Template:Sfn

The Akram Vignan Movement established by Dada Bhagwan draws inspiration from teachings of Rajchandra and other Jain scriptures, though it is considered as a Jain-Vaishnava Hindu syncretistic movement.Template:Sfn

Greatly influenced by Shrimad Rajchandra, the leader of the campaign for Indian independence, Mahatma Gandhi stated regarding Jainism:Template:Sfn Template:Blockquote

Chandanaji became the first Jain woman to receive the title of Acharya in 1987.Template:Sfn

Practices

The Four-Fold Community (Caturvidha Saṅgha)

Template:Multiple image Of the major Indian religions, Jainism has had the strongest ascetic tradition.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Ascetic life may include nakedness, symbolizing non-possession even of clothes, fasting, body mortification, and penance, to burn away past karma and stop producing new karma, both of which are believed essential for reaching siddha and moksha ("liberation from rebirths" and "salvation").Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Jain texts like Tattvartha Sūtra and Uttaradhyayana Sūtra discuss austerities in detail. Six outer and six inner practices are oft-repeated in later Jain texts.Template:Sfn Outer austerities include complete fasting, eating limited amounts, eating restricted items, abstaining from tasty foods, mortifying the flesh, and guarding the flesh (avoiding anything that is a source of temptation).Template:Sfn Inner austerities include expiation, confession, respecting and assisting mendicants, studying, meditation, and ignoring bodily wants in order to abandon the body.Template:Sfn Lists of internal and external austerities vary with the text and tradition.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Asceticism is viewed as a means to control desires, and to purify the jiva (soul).Template:Sfn According to tradition, the tirthankaras such as the Mahāvīra (Vardhamana) set an example by performing severe austerities for twelve years.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Monastic organization, sangh, has a four-fold order consisting of sadhu (male ascetics, muni), sadhvi (female ascetics, aryika), śrāvaka (laymen), and śrāvikā (laywomen).Template:Sfn The latter two support the ascetics and their monastic organizations called gacch or samuday, in autonomous regional Jain congregations.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Jain monastic rules have encouraged the use of mouth cover, as well as the Dandasan – a long stick with woolen threads – to gently remove ants and insects that may come in their path.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

In Jainism, six essential duties (avashyakas) are prescribed for śrāvakas (householders).<ref name=psja>Template:Harvnb</ref>Template:Sfn The six duties are:<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

1. Worship of Pañca-Parameṣṭhi (five supreme beings)
2. Following the preachings of Jain saints.
3. Study of Jain scriptures
4. Samayika: practising serenity and meditation
5. Following discipline in their daily engagement
6. Charity (dāna) of four kinds:Template:Sfnm
   1. Ahara-dāna- donation of food
   2. Ausadha-dāna- donation of medicine
   3. Jnana-dāna- donation of knowledge
   4. Abhaya-dāna- saving the life of a living being or giving of protection to someone under threat

These duties became fundamental ritual activities of a Jain householder. Such as spreading the grain for the birds in the morning, and filtering or boiling the water for the next few hours' use became ritual acts of charity and non-violence.<ref name=psja/> Samayika was used as a word for all spiritual activity including icon worship during medieval times.<ref name=psja/>

Ahimsa in Practice: The Jain Diet

Template:Main The practice of non-violence towards all living beings has led to Jain culture being vegetarian. Devout Jains practice lacto-vegetarianism, meaning that they eat no eggs, but accept dairy products if there is no violence against animals during their production. Veganism is encouraged if there are concerns about animal welfare.Template:Sfn Jain monks, nuns and some followers avoid root vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and garlic because tiny organisms are injured when the plant is pulled up, and because a bulb or tuber's ability to sprout is seen as characteristic of a higher living being.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn Jain monks and advanced lay people avoid eating after sunset, observing a vow of ratri-bhojana-tyaga-vrata.Template:Sfn Monks observe a stricter vow by eating only once a day.Template:Sfn

Jains fast particularly during festivals.Template:Sfn This practice is called upavasa, tapasya or vrata,Template:Sfn and may be practiced according to one's ability.Template:Sfn Digambaras fast for Dasa-laksana-parvan, eating only one or two meals per day, drinking only boiled water for ten days, or fasting completely on the first and last days of the festival,Template:Sfn mimicking the practices of a Jain mendicant for the period.Template:Sfn Śvētāmbara Jains do similarly in the eight day paryusana with samvatsari-pratikramana.Template:Sfn The practice is believed to remove karma from one's soul and provides merit (punya).Template:Sfn A "one day" fast lasts about 36 hours, starting at sunset before the day of the fast and ending 48 minutes after sunrise the day after.Template:Sfn Among laypeople, fasting is more commonly observed by women, as it shows their piety and religious purity, gains merit earning and helps ensure future well-being for their family. Some religious fasts are observed in a social and supportive female group.Template:Sfn Long fasts are celebrated by friends and families with special ceremonies.Template:Sfn

Meditation - sāmāyika

Template:Main Template:Multiple image Jainism considers meditation (dhyana) a necessary practice, but it never has been a central practice.Template:Sfn In Jainism, meditation is concerned more with stopping karmic attachments and activity, not as a means to transformational insights or self-realization in other Indian religions.Template:Sfn

According to Padmanabh Jaini, Sāmāyika is a practice of "brief periods in meditation" in Jainism that is a part of siksavrata (ritual restraint).Template:Sfn The goal of Sāmāyika is to achieve equanimity, and it is the second siksavrata.Template:Efn The samayika ritual is practiced at least three times a day by mendicants, while a layperson includes it with other ritual practices such as Puja in a Jain temple and doing charity work.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn According to Johnson, as well as Jaini, samayika connotes more than meditation, and for a Jain householder is the voluntary ritual practice of "assuming temporary ascetic status".Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

Devotion, Worship, and Prayer

File:Shravanbelgola Gomateshvara feet prayer1.jpg

Praying at the feet of a statue of Bahubali

There are many rituals in Jainism's various sects. According to Dundas, the ritualistic lay path among Śvētāmbara Jains is "heavily imbued with ascetic values", where the rituals either revere or celebrate the ascetic life of tirthankaras, or progressively approach the psychological and physical life of an ascetic.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The ultimate ritual is sallekhana, a religious death through ascetic abandonment of food and drinks.Template:Sfn The Digambara Jains follow the same theme, but the life cycle and religious rituals are closer to a Hindu liturgy.Template:Sfn The overlap is mainly in the life cycle (rites-of-passage) rituals, and likely developed because Jain and Hindu societies overlapped, and rituals were viewed as necessary and secular.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Jains ritually worship numerous deities,Template:Sfn especially the Jinas. In Jainism a Jina as deva is not an avatar (incarnation), but the highest state of omniscience that an ascetic tirthankara achieved.Template:Sfn Out of the 24 tirthankaras, Jains predominantly worship four: Mahāvīra, Parshvanatha, Neminatha and Rishabhanatha.Template:Sfn Among the non-tirthankara saints, devotional worship is common for Bahubali among the Digambaras.Template:Sfn The Panch Kalyanaka rituals remember the five life events of the tirthankaras, including the Panch Kalyanaka Pratishtha Mahotsava, Panch Kalyanaka Puja and Snatrapuja.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

File:A Jain ritual offerings and puja recital at a temple, worship in Jainism.jpg

Jain worship may include ritual offerings and recitals.Template:Sfn

The basic ritual is darsana (seeing) of deva, which includes Jina,Template:Sfn or other yaksas, gods and goddesses such as Brahmadeva, 52 Viras, Padmavati, Ambika and 16 Vidyadevis (including Sarasvati and Lakshmi).Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Terapanthi Digambaras limit their ritual worship to tirthankaras.Template:Sfn The worship ritual is called devapuja, and is found in all Jain sub-traditions.Template:Sfn Typically, the Jain layperson enters the Derasar (Jain temple) inner sanctum in simple clothing and bare feet with a plate filled with offerings, bows down, says the namaskar, completes his or her litany and prayers, sometimes is assisted by the temple priest, leaves the offerings and then departs.Template:Sfn

Jain practices include performing abhisheka (ceremonial bath) of the images.Template:Sfn Some Jain sects employ a pujari (also called upadhye), who may be a Hindu, to perform priestly duties at the temple.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn More elaborate worship includes offerings such as rice, fresh and dry fruits, flowers, coconut, sweets, and money. Some may light up a lamp with camphor and make auspicious marks with sandalwood paste. Devotees also recite Jain texts, particularly the life stories of the tirthankaras.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Traditional Jains, like Buddhists and Hindus, believe in the efficacy of mantras and that certain sounds and words are inherently auspicious, powerful and spiritual.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The most famous of the mantras, broadly accepted in various sects of Jainism, is the "five homage" (panca namaskara) mantra which is believed to be eternal and existent since the first tirthankara's time.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Medieval worship practices included making tantric diagrams of the Rishi-mandala including the tirthankaras.Template:Sfn The Jain tantric traditions use mantra and rituals that are believed to accrue merit for rebirth realms.Template:Sfn

Festivals

File:Das Lakshana (Paryusana) celebrations, New York City Jain temple 2.JPG

Celebrating Das Lakshana (Paryushana), Jain Center of America, New York City

The most important annual Jain festival is called the Paryushana by Svetambaras and Dasa lakshana parva by the Digambaras. It is celebrated from the 12th day of the waning moon in the traditional lunisolar month of Bhadrapada in the Indian calendar. This typically falls in August or September of the Gregorian calendar.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn It lasts eight days for Svetambaras, and ten days among the Digambaras.Template:Sfn It is a time when lay people fast and pray. The five vows are emphasized during this time.Template:Sfn Svetambaras recite the Kalpasūtras, while Digambaras read their own texts. The festival is an occasion where Jains make active effort to stop cruelty towards other life forms, freeing animals in captivity and preventing the slaughter of animals.Template:Sfn

Template:Quote box The last day involves a focused prayer and meditation session known as Samvatsari. Jains consider this a day of atonement, granting forgiveness to others, seeking forgiveness from all living beings, physically or mentally asking for forgiveness and resolving to treat everyone in the world as friends.Template:Sfn Forgiveness is asked by saying "Micchami Dukkadam" or "Khamat khamna" to others. This means, "If I have offended you in any way, knowingly or unknowingly, in thought, word or action, then I seek your forgiveness." The literal meaning of Paryushana is "abiding" or "coming together".Template:Sfn

Mahavir Janma Kalyanak celebrates the birth of Mahāvīra. It is celebrated on the 13th day of the lunisolar month of Chaitra in the traditional Indian calendar. This typically falls in March or April of the Gregorian calendar.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The festivities include visiting Jain temples, pilgrimages to shrines, reading Jain texts and processions of Mahāvīra by the community. At his legendary birthplace of Kundagrama in Bihar, north of Patna, special events are held by Jains.Template:Sfn The next day of Dipawali is observed by Jains as the anniversary of Mahāvīra's attainment of moksha.Template:Sfn The Hindu festival of Diwali is also celebrated on the same date (Kartika Amavasya). Jain temples, homes, offices, and shops are decorated with lights and diyas (small oil lamps). The lights are symbolic of knowledge or removal of ignorance. Sweets are often distributed. On Diwali morning, Nirvan Ladoo is offered after praying to Mahāvīra in all Jain temples across the world. The Jain new year starts right after Diwali.Template:Sfn Some other festivals celebrated by Jains are Akshaya Tritiya and Raksha Bandhan, similar to those in the Hindu communities.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Scriptures and texts

Jain canonical scriptures are called Agamas. They are believed to have been verbally transmitted, much like the ancient Buddhist and Hindu texts,Template:Sfn and to have originated from the sermons of the tirthankaras, whereupon the Ganadharas (chief disciples) transmitted them as Śhrut Jnāna (heard knowledge).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The spoken scriptural language is believed to be Ardhamagadhi by the Śvētāmbara Jains, and a form of sonic resonance by the Digambara Jains.Template:Sfn

The Śvētāmbaras believe that they have preserved 45 of the 50 original Jain scriptures (having lost an Anga text and four Purva texts), while the Digambaras believe that all were lost,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and that Āchārya Bhutabali was the last ascetic who had partial knowledge of the original canon. According to them, Digambara Āchāryas recreated the oldest-known Digambara Jain texts, including the four anuyoga.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn The Digambara texts partially agree with older Śvētāmbara texts, but there are also gross differences between the texts of the two major Jain traditions.Template:Sfn The Digambaras created a secondary canon between 600 and 900 CE, compiling it into four groups or Vedas: history, cosmography, philosophy and ethics.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

The most popular and influential texts of Jainism have been its non-canonical literature. Of these, the Kalpa Sūtras are particularly popular among Śvētāmbaras, which they attribute to Bhadrabahu (c. 300 BCE). This ancient scholar is revered in the Digambara tradition, and they believe he led their migration into the ancient south Karnataka region and created their tradition.Template:Sfn Śvētāmbaras believe instead that Bhadrabahu moved to Nepal.Template:Sfn Both traditions consider his Niryuktis and Samhitas important. The earliest surviving Sanskrit text by Umaswati, the Tattvarthasūtra is considered authoritative by all traditions of Jainism.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Efn In the Digambara tradition, the texts attributed to Kundakunda are highly revered and have been historically influential,Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn while the oldest being Kasayapahuda and Shatkhandagama attributed to Acharya pushpdanta and Bhutbali. Other important Digambara Jain texts include: Samayasara, Ratnakaranda śrāvakācāra, and Niyamasara.Template:Sfn

Culture (Art, Architecture)

Jainism has contributed significantly to Indian art and architecture. Jain arts depict life legends of tirthankara or other important people, particularly with them in a seated or standing meditative posture. Yakshas and yakshinis, attendant spirits who guard the tirthankara, are usually shown with them.Template:Sfn The earliest known Jain image is in the Patna museum. It is dated approximately to the third century BCE.Template:Sfn Bronze images of Pārśva can be seen in the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai, and in the Patna museum; these are dated to the second century BCE.Template:Sfn

Ayagapata is a type of votive tablet used in Jainism for donation and worship in the early centuries. These tablets are decorated with objects and designs central to Jain worship such as the stupa, dharmacakra and triratna. They present simultaneous trends or image and symbol worship. Numerous such stone tablets were discovered during excavations at ancient Jain sites like Kankali Tila near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, India. The practice of donating these tablets is documented from first century BCE to the third century CE.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Samavasarana, a preaching hall of tirthankaras with various beings concentrically placed, is an important theme of Jain art.Template:Sfn

File:Kirti Stambha (Tower of Fame) (4571936260).jpg

Kirti Stambh in Chittor Fort, 12th century CE

The Jain tower in Chittor, Rajasthan, is a good example of Jain architecture.Template:Sfn Decorated manuscripts are preserved in Jain libraries, containing diagrams from Jain cosmology.Template:Sfn Most of the paintings and illustrations depict historical events, known as Panch Kalyanaka, from the life of the tirthankara. Rishabha, the first tirthankara, is usually depicted in either the lotus position or kayotsarga, the standing position. He is distinguished from other tirthankara by the long locks of hair falling to his shoulders. Bull images also appear in his sculptures.Template:Sfn In paintings, incidents from his life, like his marriage and Indra marking his forehead, are depicted. Other paintings show him presenting a pottery bowl to his followers; he is also seen painting a house, weaving, and being visited by his mother Marudevi.Template:Sfn Each of the twenty-four tirthankara is associated with distinctive emblems, which are listed in such texts as Tiloyapannati, Kahavaali and Pravacanasaarodhara.Template:Sfn

Temples

File:Palitana.jpg

Jain temples on Shatrunjaya hill near Palitana, Gujarat

A Jain temple, a Derasar or Basadi, is a place of worship.Template:Sfn Temples contain tirthankara images, some fixed, others moveable.Template:Sfn These are stationed in the inner sanctum, one of the two sacred zones, the other being the main hall.Template:Sfn One of the images is marked as the moolnayak (primary deity).Template:Sfn A manastambha (column of honor) is a pillar that is often constructed in front of Jain temples.Template:Sfn Temple construction is considered a meritorious act.Template:Sfn

Ancient Jain monuments include the Udaigiri Hills near Bhelsa (Vidisha) and Pataini temple in Madhya Pradesh, the Ellora in Maharashtra, the Palitana temples in Gujarat, and the Jain temples at Dilwara Temples near Mount Abu, Rajasthan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Chaumukha temple in Ranakpur is considered one of the most beautiful Jain temples and is famous for its detailed carvings.Template:Sfn According to Jain texts, Shikharji is the place where twenty of the twenty-four Jain Tīrthaṅkaras along with many other monks attained moksha (died without being reborn, with their soul in Siddhashila). The Shikharji site in northeastern Jharkhand is therefore a revered pilgrimage site.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn The Palitana temples are the holiest shrine for the Śvētāmbara Murtipujaka sect.Template:Sfn Along with Shikharji the two sites are considered the holiest of all pilgrimage sites by the Jain community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Jain complex, Khajuraho and Jain Narayana temple are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shravanabelagola, Saavira Kambada Basadi or 1000 pillars and Brahma Jinalaya are important Jain centers in Karnataka.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn In and around Madurai, there are 26 caves, 200 stone beds, 60 inscriptions, and over 100 sculptures.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The second–first century BCE Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are rich with carvings of tirthanakars and deities with inscriptions including the Elephant Cave inscription.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfn Jain cave temples at Badami, Mangi-Tungi and the Ellora Caves are considered important.Template:Sfn The Sittanavasal Cave temple is a fine example of Jain art with an early cave shelter, and a medieval rock-cut temple with excellent fresco paintings comparable to Ajantha. Inside are seventeen stone beds with second century BCE. Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The eighth century Kazhugumalai temple marks the revival of Jainism in South India.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• Jain temples of varied styles in India and abroad
• Ranakpur Jain Temple
  Ranakpur Jain Temple
• Dilwara Temples
  Dilwara Temples
• Parshvanath Temple in Khajuraho
  Parshvanath Temple in Khajuraho
• Girnar Jain temples
  Girnar Jain temples
• Jal Mandir, Pawapuri
  Jal Mandir, Pawapuri
• Lodhurva Jain temple
  Lodhurva Jain temple
• Palitana temples
  Palitana temples
• Saavira Kambada Basadi, Moodbidri, Karnataka
  Saavira Kambada Basadi, Moodbidri, Karnataka
• Jain temple, Antwerp, Belgium
  Jain temple, Antwerp, Belgium
• Brahma Jinalaya, Lakkundi
  Brahma Jinalaya, Lakkundi
• Hutheesing Jain Temple
  Hutheesing Jain Temple

Pilgrimages

File:Shikharji Parasnath Giridih.jpg

Shikharji

Jain Tirtha (pilgrim) sites are divided into the following categories:Template:Sfn

• SiddhakshetraTemplate:SndsSite of the moksha of an arihant (kevalin) or tirthankara, such as: Ashtapada of Rishabhanatha, Shikharji of 20 Tirthankara, Girnar of Neminatha, Pawapuri of Mahaveera, Champapuri (capital of Anga) of Vasupujya, Mangi-Tungi of Ram, Palitana of 3 Pandavas.
• AtishayakshetraTemplate:SndsLocations where divine events are believed to have occurred, such as: Mahavirji, Rishabhdeo, Kundalpur, Tijara, and Aharji.
• PuranakshetraTemplate:Snds Places associated with the lives of great men, such as: Ayodhya, Vidisha, Hastinapur, and Rajgir.
• GyanakshetraTemplate:Snds Places associated with famous acharyas, or centers of learning, such as Shravanabelagola.

Outside contemporary India, Jain communities built temples in locations such as Nagarparkar, Sindh (Pakistan). However, according to a UNESCO tentative world heritage site application, Nagarparkar was not a "major religious centre or a place of pilgrimage" for Jainism, but it was once an important cultural landscape before "the last remaining Jain community left the area in 1947 at Partition".<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Statues and sculptures

File:Thirthankara Suparshvanath Museum Rietberg RVI 306.jpg

Idol of Suparśvanātha

Jain sculptures usually depict one of the twenty-four tīrthaṅkaras; Parshvanatha, Rishabhanatha and Mahāvīra are among the more popular, often seated in lotus position or kayotsarga, along with Arihant, Bahubali, and protector deities like Ambika.Template:Sfn Quadruple images are also popular. Tirthankar idols look similar, differentiated by their individual symbol, except for Parshvanatha whose head is crowned by a snake. Digambara images are naked without any beautification, whereas Śvētāmbara depictions are clothed and ornamented.Template:Sfn

A monolithic, Template:Convert statue of Bahubali, Gommateshvara, built in 981 CE by the Ganga minister and commander Chavundaraya, is situated on a hilltop in Shravanabelagola in Karnataka. This statue was voted first in the SMS poll Seven Wonders of India conducted by The Times of India.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Template:Convert tall Statue of Ahiṃsā (depicting Rishabhanatha) was erected in the Nashik district in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Idols are often made in Ashtadhatu (literally "eight metals"), namely Akota Bronze, brass, gold, silver, stone monoliths, rock cut, and precious stones.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Symbols

Jain icons and arts incorporate symbols such as the swastika, Om, and the Ashtamangala. In Jainism, Om is a condensed reference to the initials "A-A-A-U-M" of the five parameshthis: "Arihant, Ashiri, Acharya, Upajjhaya, Muni".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Sfn The Ashtamangala is a set of eight auspicious symbols:Template:Sfn in the Digambara tradition, these are chatra, dhvaja, kalasha, fly-whisk, mirror, chair, hand fan and vessel. In the Śvētāmbar tradition, they are Swastika, Srivatsa, Nandavarta, Vardhmanaka (food vessel), Bhadrasana (seat), Kalasha (pot), Darpan (mirror) and pair of fish.Template:Sfn

File:Stambha of Parshwanath Jain Mandir, Belgachhiya 18.jpg

A symbol to represent the Jain community was chosen in 1975 as part of the commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of Mahavira's nirvana.

The hand with a wheel on the palm symbolizes ahimsā. The wheel represents the dharmachakra, which stands for the resolve to halt the saṃsāra (wandering) through the relentless pursuit of ahimsā. The five colours of the Jain flag represent the Pañca-Parameṣṭhi and the five vows.Template:Sfn The swastika's four arms symbolise the four realms in which rebirth occurs according to Jainism: humans, heavenly beings, hellish beings and non-humans.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The three dots on the top represent the three jewels mentioned in ancient texts: correct faith, correct understanding and correct conduct, believed to lead to spiritual perfection.Template:Sfn

In 1974, on the 2500th anniversary of the nirvana of Mahāvīra, the Jain community chose a single combined image for Jainism.Template:Sfn It depicts the three lokas, heaven, the human world and hell. The semi-circular topmost portion symbolizes Siddhashila, a zone beyond the three realms. The Jain swastika and the symbol of Ahiṃsā are included, with the Jain mantra Parasparopagraho JīvānāmTemplate:Sfn from sūtra 5.21 of Umaswati's Tattvarthasūtra, meaning "souls render service to one another".Template:Sfn

Jainism and ecology

Jainism, one of the world's oldest religions, offers a profound ecological philosophy rooted in its core principles.<ref name="JE">Template:Cite news</ref> As noted in the Jain Declaration on Nature, "Jainism is fundamentally a religion of ecology and has turned ecology into a religion. It has enabled Jains to create an environment-friendly value system and code of conduct."<ref name="YA">Singhvi L.M.,Template:Cite news</ref> Central to Jain ethics is ahimsa (non-violence), which extends beyond human interactions to encompass all living beings. "All breathing, existing, living, sentient beings should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away. This is the pure, unchangeable, eternal law."<ref>ĀcārāṅgaSūtra I:4.1, as translated by Hermann Jacobi, Jaina Sutras in Two Parts. Part One: the ĀkārāṅgaSūtra; The Kalpa Sūtra(New York: Dover, 1968, first published, 1884), p. 36.</ref>

The Jain concept of parasparopagrahojīvānām in the Tattvarth Sutra, the most authoritative sacred text of Jains, teaches that all souls are responsible for one another and underscores the mutual interdependence of all life forms.<ref name="GO">Dr. Palakh Jain,Template:Cite news</ref> Mahavira, the founder of Jainism taught, "One who neglects or disregards the existence of earth, air, fire, water and vegetation disregards his own existence which is entwined with them."<ref name="FOR">L. M. SINGHVI,Template:Cite news</ref> This principle is not merely philosophical but is reflected in daily practices. For instance, Jain monks and nuns often wear masks to prevent inhaling and harming microscopic organisms, demonstrating meticulous care for even the smallest forms of life.<ref>ĀcārāṅgaSūtra II:15.i.1-5, Jacobi 1968, 203-204</ref>

Jainism also emphasizes aparigraha (non-possessiveness), advocating for minimal consumption and a lifestyle that avoids excess. This principle encourages individuals to live sustainably, reducing their ecological footprint. "Using any resource beyond one's needs and misuse of any part of nature is considered a form of theft. Indeed, the Jain faith goes one radical step further and declares unequivocally that waste and creating pollution are acts of violence."<ref>L. M. Singhvi,Template:Cite news</ref>

In contemporary times, Jain communities continue to uphold these ecological principles through various initiatives. These include tree planting, wildlife conservation, and promoting vegetarianism, all aimed at fostering a harmonious relationship with nature. Such practices exemplify the enduring relevance of Jain teachings in addressing modern environmental challenges.<ref>Patil, R.B., Jainism And Ecology, Journal of Dharma 33, 2 April-June 2008</ref>

Through its unwavering commitment to non-violence, interdependence, and minimalism, Jainism offers a holistic framework for ecological sustainability, emphasizing the sacredness of all life and the importance of living in harmony with the environment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Comparison with other religions

File:Sculpture panel showing a Jain stupa and torana, Mathura 75-100 CE.jpg

Sivayasa Ayagapata, with stupa fragment, Kankali Tila, 75–100 CE

All four Dharmic religions—Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism—share concepts and doctrines such as karma and rebirth.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn They do not believe in eternal heaven or hell or judgment day, and leave it up to individual discretion to choose whether or not to believe in gods, to disagree with core teachings, and to choose whether to participate in prayers, rituals and festivals. They all consider values such as ahimsa (non-violence) to be important,Template:SfnTemplate:Rp link suffering to craving, individual's actions, intents, and karma, and believe spirituality is a means to enlightened peace, bliss and eternal liberation (moksha).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Jainism differs from both Buddhism and Hinduism in its ontological premises: While all three believe in impermanence, Buddhism incorporates the premise of anatta ("no eternal self or soul") while Hinduism maintains the concept of an eternal unchanging atman ("soul"); by contrast, Jainism incorporates an eternal but changing jiva ("soul").Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn In Jain thought, there are infinite eternal jivas, predominantly in cycles of rebirth, and a few siddhas (liberated ones).Template:Sfn Unlike Jainism, Hindu philosophies encompass nondualism where all souls are identical as Brahman and posited as interconnected oneTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Jainism rejected the non-dual concept, stating that if there were only one universal consciousness which was already liberated, the purpose of dharma would be nullified. Additionally, the need and desire for an infinitely blissful consciousness to create the universe would imply a limitation within that consciousness. Jainism also criticized Vedanta's inability to explain how an intangible consciousness could create a material universe, filled with countless living beings who experience suffering.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jain scholar Dr. Hukumchand Bharill explains that, according to both Jainism and Vedanta, only consciousness can perceive itself, while the mind and body are incapable of recognizing and experiencing the soul. In Jainism, the soul, in its state of ignorance, mistakenly identifies with the body and consequently experiences suffering. When the soul realizes its true nature, it attains enlightenment, gaining infinite knowledge and bliss. If there were only a singular, universal consciousness, Bharill questions, who attains realization as the consciousness is already liberated, and the mind is incapable of experiencing soul's boundless knowledge-bliss nature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

While both Hinduism and Jainism believe "soul exists" to be a self-evident truth, most Hindu systems consider it to be eternally present, infinite and constant (vibhu), but some Hindu scholars propose soul to be atomic. Hindu thought generally discusses Atman and Brahman through a monistic or dualistic framework. In contrast, Jain thought denies the Hindu metaphysical concept of Brahman, and Jain philosophy considers the soul to be ever changing and bound to the body or matter for each lifetime, thereby having a finite size that infuses the entire body of a living being.Template:Sfn

Jainism is similar to Buddhism in not recognizing the primacy of the Vedas and the Hindu Brahman. Jainism and Hinduism, however, both believe "soul exists" as a self-evident truth.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Jains and Hindus have frequently intermarried, particularly in northern, central and western regions of India.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Some early colonial scholars stated that Jainism like Buddhism was, in part, a rejection of the Hindu caste system,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn but later scholars consider this a Western error.Template:Sfn A caste system not based on birth has been a historic part of Jain society, and Jainism focused on transforming the individual, not society.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Efn

Monasticism is similar in all three traditions,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn with similar rules, hierarchical structure, not traveling during the four-month monsoon season, and celibacy,Template:Sfn originating before the Buddha or the Mahāvīra.Template:Sfn Jain and Hindu monastic communities have traditionally been more mobile and had an itinerant lifestyle, while Buddhist monks have favored belonging to a sangha (monastery) and staying in its premises.Template:Sfn Buddhist monastic rules forbid a monk to go outside without wearing the sangha's distinctive ruddy robe, or to use wooden bowls.Template:Sfn In contrast, Jain monastic rules have either required nakedness (Digambara) or white clothes (Śvētāmbara), and they have disagreed on the legitimacy of the wooden or empty gourd as the begging bowl by Jain monks.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

Jains have similar views with Hindus that violence in self-defence can be justified,<ref>Nisithabhasya (in Nisithasutra) 289; Jinadatta Suri: Upadesharasayana 26; Dundas pp. 162–163; Tähtinen p. 31.</ref> and that a soldier who kills enemies in combat is performing a legitimate duty.<ref>Jindal pp. 89–90; Laidlaw pp. 154–155; Jaini, Padmanabh S.: Ahimsa and "Just War" in Jainism, in: Ahimsa, Anekanta and Jainism, ed. Tara Sethia, New Delhi 2004, p. 52–60; Tähtinen p. 31.</ref> Jain communities accepted the use of military power for their defence; there were Jain monarchs, military commanders, and soldiers.<ref>Harisena, Brhatkathakosa 124 (10th century); Jindal pp. 90–91; Sangave p. 259.</ref> The Jain and Hindu communities have often been very close and mutually accepting. Some Hindu temples have included a Jain Tirthankara within its premises in a place of honour,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn while temple complexes such as the Badami cave temples and Khajuraho feature both Hindu and Jain monuments.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Fynes (1996) argues that various Jain influences, particularly ideas on the existence of plant souls, were transmitted from Western Kshatrapa territories to Mesopotamia and then integrated into Manichaean beliefs.<ref name="FynesRCC">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Demographics

With an estimated four to five million followers worldwide,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn the vast majority of Jains reside in India. According to the 2011 Census of India, there were 4.45 million Jains in the country, constituting 0.37% of the total population.<ref name=jaindemographics/> The community is highly concentrated, with 78.2% of Indian Jains living in four states: Maharashtra (31.5%), Rajasthan (14.0%), Gujarat (13.0%) and Madhya Pradesh (12.7%).<ref name=jaindemographics/> Other states with significant populations include Karnataka (9.9%), Uttar Pradesh (4.8%), Delhi (3.7%) and Tamil Nadu (2.0%).<ref name=jaindemographics>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2014, the Government of India granted Jainism "national minority" status.

Global Diaspora

Significant Jain communities exist globally, largely tracing their origins to Indian migration.Template:Sfn The oldest of these is in East Africa, particularly Kenya and Uganda, where Jain merchants settled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Political instability in those countries in the 1960s and 1970s led to a secondary migration, primarily to the United Kingdom, which now has a community estimated at 25,000 to 30,000.Template:Sfn The first Jain temple consecrated outside India was in Leicester.Template:Sfn

The largest diaspora community is in the United States, with estimates ranging from 80,000 to 100,000, and a significant population also resides in Canada (est. 12,000+).Template:Sfn A notable community exists in Antwerp, Belgium, where Jains have played a prominent role in the global diamond trade since the mid-20th century. In recent decades, Jainism has also attracted converts in other nations, such as Japan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Socio-Economic Profile

The Jain community is a distinct socio-economic group within India. Data from the 2015–16 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) identified Jains as the wealthiest religious community in the country.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> This is strongly correlated with high educational attainment. According to the 2011 census, Jains have the highest literacy rate in India at 86.7% (for ages 7+), and this figure exceeded 97% for the population excluding the retired.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Jains also have the highest percentage of college graduates of any religious community.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Scholars often attribute this socio-economic profile to the theological principles of the faith.Template:Sfn The rigorous observance of Ahiṃsā (non-violence) historically discouraged professions like agriculture, which involve the harming of insects and microbes.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn This steered the community toward mercantile pursuits, such as commerce, banking, jewelry, and trade.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn A notable historical example of this financial prominence was the Jagat Seth family, a Jain banking house that served as state bankers to the Nawabs of Bengal and the East India Company in the 18th century.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

In the modern era, this focus has translated to high representation in business, finance, and professional fields.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Foundational industrialists like Walchand Hirachand, who established India's first modern shipyard and aircraft factory, emerged from the community.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> In finance, the merchant Premchand Roychand was a key 19th-century founder of the Bombay Stock Exchange.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> This prominence in large-scale industry continues with contemporary figures such as Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani Group, and the Patni family of Kishangarh, founders of RK Marble, a major global stone processor. This representation also extends to technology and the sciences. Narendra Patni, for instance, was a pioneer of the Indian IT services industry with the founding of Patni Computer Systems. In science, physicist Vikram Sarabhai, founder of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is widely regarded as the "father of the Indian space program."<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Community and Philanthropy

A defining characteristic of the Jain community is its highly organized and historical practice of dāna (charity).Template:Sfn This is a central religious duty for laypersons (śrāvakas), who are motivated by two key theological concepts.Template:Sfn Firstly, scholars identify dāna as the primary mechanism for the laity to acquire good karma (punya), which is sought to ensure worldly well-being and a favorable rebirth. Secondly, this practice is the main expression of the householder's vow of Aparigraha (non-attachment). This dual motivation has resulted in a long-standing tradition of institutional philanthropy.Template:Sfn

This is most famously expressed in the establishment of panjrapoles (animal hospitals and sanctuaries), which provide care for animals in accordance with the principle of Ahiṃsā.Template:Sfn The community has also historically funded and managed dharamshalas (pilgrim rest-houses), educational institutions, and bhandaras (manuscript libraries), which have been crucial in preserving tens of thousands of ancient and medieval texts.Template:Sfn

In the 20th century, this philanthropic tradition of supporting educational institutions evolved to include the founding of major national bodies. Industrialist Kasturbhai Lalbhai, for example, was a key co-founder of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and the Physical Research Laboratory. In the field of public policy, physicist Daulat Singh Kothari chaired the influential Kothari Commission (1964–1966), which provided the comprehensive framework for the modernization of India's education policy.

See also

• Outline of Jainism
• Jain law
• Jain cosmology
• List of ancient Jains
• List of Jains
• Nonviolence
• Vegetarianism

Sources

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External links

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• "The Original Home of Jainism" by S. Srikanta Sastri
• "Youngest Jain Sadhviji to Observe 285 Fasts in 11 Months – Muktavali Tapasya" by World Records India
• Template:Cite SEP