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Jainism

Jain dharma (the Jain ‘way’) is an ancient Indian religion with its origins in Brahmanism. According to tradition, Jain teachings existed millions of years ago and the religion is eternal. Jain scriptures deny the existence of one or more creator, interventionist or judging gods, but describe divine or perfect beings worthy of worship. Nataputta Mahavira (599–527 BCE) (also known as Vardhamana) was an older contemporary of the Buddha and is considered the 24th and last Jina or Tirthankara (prophet or teacher) of the present time cycle. Mahavira and the Buddha used Prakrit rather than Sanskrit as a preaching language. Both figures emphasised the importance of self-discipline, meditation, non-attachment and nonviolence. As distinct from Buddhism, Jain doctrine holds that no one can achieve enlightenment or liberation in this timeline but that the eventual liberation of the soul from rebirth into physical bodies is possible. Like Hinduism and Judaism, Jain dharma is an ‘ethnic religion’, meaning its adherents are overwhelmingly born into the faith. There is not one fixed body of Jain scriptures sanctioned by a central authority, but rather a vast range of ancient scriptures rich in cultural and spiritual meaning written in a range of Indian languages. The two main branches of Jainism use a different set of texts. The oldest surviving scripture was written in Ardhamagadhi (a variety of Prakrit). The number of accepted scriptures is 32, 45 or 84, depending on the school. Tattvārthasūtra (That Which Is), written in Sanskrit, is an important scripture because it is equally embraced by both branches of Jainism. Like Buddhists, Jains deny the divine origin and authority of the Hindu Vedas, though many Jains also identify as Hindu. Jainism is the smallest of India’s 6 major religious groups, and may only comprise 0.5% of the Indian population (4.5 million people). Most Jains live in India’s west, but there are Jain communities worldwide and the global population is estimated at 6 million. Mahavira rejected the caste system and unlike Hindus, Jains regard the caste system as separate from their religion but the Jain scriptures do not forbid observance of caste rules and today most Jains are divided by caste as supervised by the Hindi Pañcāyat (the legal body that oversees caste in India). Though few Hindus claim to know much about Jainism, it is an important part of Indian culture. For instance, three of the five epics in Tamil literature, Silappadikaram, Valayapani and Cintamani, are Jainist works. Jains tend to be well educated, higher caste and are the wealthiest religious community in India, with more than 70% of their population in the top fifth. At the time of writing (2022) Gautam Adani is the richest Jain and fifth richest person in the world. Many or most Jains do not eat meat, eggs, honey, or anything that grows underground (because consuming the root of a plant destroys the plant). In strict doctrine, these foods are not allowed in the house, and most Jains refrain from eating in a non-vegetarian home or restaurant. As with meat-eating, alcohol consumption is prohibited by doctrine. Jains are permitted to eat dairy products. Many Jains worship every day at their temple. Each Jain sangha (community) has an elected leader. Generally, Jain monks and nuns do not reside in permanent dwellings but travel from place to place, often sleeping under the open sky. Jains commemorate the liberation of Mahavir at the same time as the Hindu celebration of Diwali, which they also celebrate. Jain festivals are typically colourful and joyous. Other important festivals include Mahavira Jayanti (the birthday of Mahavira) and Paryushana Parva. The two schools of Jainism celebrate other important festivals, and many Jain festivals are highly localised. Many Jains undertake a vow such as fasting during festivals. Dates are based on a lunar calendar.

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