1. Jainism

2. JAINISM Response to Hinduism and rejection of castes system FounderMahavira or the last of 23 founders Tirthankarasford builders or crossing builders 3. Mahavira ca. 599-527 BC Parallels Buddhas life Family wealth vs. poverty Joined ascetics Became far more extreme Ahimsa yields true release Ahimsa produces Jina (release from this life or conqueror over attachment, hence the name Jain) 4. Tirthankarasford builders or crossing builders 5. TEACHINGS OF JAINISM Reincarnationuntil one finally breaks the cycle Karma is the glue that sticks you to life Reduce involvement and one reduces karma Dualism: Jiva=soul=good, pure, eternal Ajiva=matter=bad, impure, temporal Asceticism cleanses the soul of the karma Salvation comes from ones work at release God, prayers, rituals, etc. arent necessary 6. FIVE VOWS OF JAINISM Non-violence (Ahimsa): complete avoidance of harm All living beings are equal Truthfulness (Satya): to always speak the truth in a harmless manner Non-stealing (Asteya): this also includes avoidance of greed and exploitation Chastity (Brahmacharya): monogamy and faithfulness are important Detachment from material things (Aparigraha): to detach from people, places, and material things. 7. Jain hand is the emblem of the Jainism, which symbolizes Ahimsa, nonviolence, the wheel in the center is the wheel of Samsara, the word in the center of the wheel reads stop. 8. Palitana, Gujarat 9. Literature Agamas based on Mahavira teachings. orally compiled by his disciples into various Sutras (texts) orally passed on from teachers (acaryas or gurus) to the disciples for several centuries. The scholars date the composition of Jain agamas at around 6th to 3rd century BCE. 10. Tirthankaras appears in the world to teach the way to moksha, or liberation. not an incarnation of the God. great omniscient teachers who lived at various times in man's cultural history. accomplished the highest spiritual goal of existence Each new tirthankara preaches the same basic Jain philosophy 24 tirthankaras during this present age Svetambara Jains believe that tirthankaras can be men or women, but Digamber Jains believe that women can't be tirthankaras 11. Tirthankaras Parshva: four of the five Jain principles Mahavira Not the founder of Jainism world's most recent tirthankara (and will be the last one in this age). born as Vardhamana in north east India in 599 BCE a prince, the son of King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala live the life of an ascetic, or a sadhana extremely long, arduous periods of fasting and meditation. attained Kevalnyan, enlightenment taught the path he had discovered to other seekers. Mahavira added the principle of chastity established a community of 14,000 monks and 36,000 nuns before he died. 12. No Founder The truth has been revealed at different times by a tirthankara Tirthankaras accomplished the highest spiritual goal of existence and then teach others how to achieve it. In what Jains call the "present age" there have been 24 tirthankaras - although there is little evidence for the existence of most of these. 13. JAIN SECTS 1. White Cladwill wear white clothes (north) 2. Sky Cladnudist (south) 3. Sub-group of the White Cladsreject temples 14. White Clad monks