Jains are an important religious community and jainism preaches on different principles of virtue enriching the population. We have certain scriptures which are considered as very sacred. He was followed by 23 tirthankars of whom mahavir was the last. The legendary accounts of mahaviras life preserved by the jain scriptures. Hence, there are a total of 24 tirthankars in jainism who make religion. The author does a very thorough job introducing the reader to jainism, its history, its sacred days, its customs and its sects. Acharyas started to write,compile and restore the teachings of lord mahavira and. Although it has some similarities with both traditions, jainism is different from them with. The 10th guru, gobind singh, declared that he would have no living successor, and this collection of teachings would become the ultimate guru for the sikh. Hinduism, buddhism, jainism, and sikhism 1904 words. Shah jain study center of north carolina raleigh 401 farmstead drive, cary nc 275115631 9194690956 and fax email. Find here a list of selected books on the various aspects of jainism, jain history, jaina philosophy, practices, values and beliefs, thirthankaras, life and teachings of mahavira and jaina tradition.
Long provides a succinct and accurate overview of the history, beliefs and practices of the jains that draws in an excellent manner upon the most recent scholarship. Jaina canon, the sacred texts of jainism, a religion of india, whose. Any soul that has conquered its inner enemies and achieved the state of supreme being is called jina conqueror or victor. This religions holy text is referred to as agam literature or sutras and is a collection of many different written works. Jainism is a very popular religion practiced primarily in india, although believers are found across the globe. Lord mahavir was the twentyfourth and last tirthankara of the jain religion of this era.
It is considered to be much more than a book, it is deemed to be the living guru of the sikhs. Thus, unlike buddha, mahavir was more of a reformer and propagator of an existing religious order than the founder of a new faith. The texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the agamas. Unlike monotheistic traditions, the jains do not have a unique holy book that characterises their faith. The word jaina is an alternative spelling which is less used nowadays in common parlance. A jain is someone who accepts the teachings of the jinas. Jainism originated in india thousands of years ago and is thought to have heavily influenced the two other main belief systems of the region at that time. Hence, the jain religion does not have one sacred book like the bible or. In jainism dharma are truths or teachings that must be followed, which guides their path in life. Lord parsva is often described as the real founder of jainism. There are no gods or god who will help humans on the road to liberation.
Similar to hinduism, jainism beliefs also maintain various principles and practices related to meditation, karma, and reincarnation. Jeffery longs book admirably accomplishes two goals. Jainism beliefs probably grew out of the teachings of mahavira, a fifthcentury b. A persons quality of life in their present life is determined by the karma they received in their previous lives. Buddhism is 600bc and certainly post vedic but jainism is pre vedic and. Mahaviras disciples compiled his words into texts or sutras, and memorized them to pass on to future generations. Hence, the jain religion does not have one sacred book like the bible or koran, but it. Its philosophy and practice relies mainly on self effort to progress ones soul on the spiritual ladder to god consciousness. Jainism beliefs are generally distinguished from hindu beliefs because of a refusal to accept the brahmanic vedas as authoritative. Jainism existed before mahavir, and his teachings were based on those of his predecessors.
However, the puranas are supposed to be complied by muni vyasa. The holy teachers are called the jina, and they are the epitome of teaching for all jains, especially the jina mahavira. Jainism, indian religion teaching a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through. The texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the agamas, and are the canonical literature the scriptures of svetambara jainism mahaviras disciples compiled his. Christians believe that jesus was the messiah promised in the old testament. The texts had to be memorised since jain monks and nuns were not allowed to possess religious books as part.
The fundamental aim of the jain faith is to perfect the soul, which can be done only by following the teachings of the jinas. They are humans who achieve enlightenment via asceticism. The jain literature which was complied by ganadharas and srutkevlis is known as agam literature. These texts are glorious tales of the hindu trinity brahma, vishnu and maheshwar shiva.
In jainism karma is the cosmic scorecard of a persons bad actions. Originally, the religion relied on the teaching of living gurus. Jainworld is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of jain tradition of wisdom, compassion, equality, brotherhood, universal wellbeing and spirituality. The one thing grossly lacking in this book is citation of scripture. The religion derives its name from the jinas conquerors, a title given to twentyfour great teachers tirthankaras or fordmakers, through. The religion centres on the progress of ones soul towards a divine consciousness through selfreformation, wisdom and selfcontrol and pacifism towards all living. List of world religions and founders, religious books. Hinduism, buddhism, jainism, and sikhism 1904 words 8 pages in hinduism you embrace a great diversity of different beliefs, a fact that can be easy confusing to western religions which are accustomed to creeds, confessions, and carefullyworded beliefs of statements. The holy book of the sikh religion is the guru granth sahib. These beliefs are furthermore classified as eastern religions. The word canon for the jain holy writings is increasingly felt to be inadequate, for it implies an unchanging. A jain believes in jain principles and tries to act by them in everyday life. Shri arun kumar jain, by the name suggests that he is a jain, knows nothing of jainism when he says that jainism and buddhism are post vedic, starting in the later vedic period as he puts it to 600bc.
All sects agree that teaching was first transmitted orally, however, the two main sects of jainism, svetambara and digambara disagree on which scriptures are authoritative, or most important. The holy quran, the final revealed book of allah, was revealed to the holy prophet muhammad over a period of 23 years. It is believed that jainism was founded by rishabha, the father of king bharata. It is believed that jainism was founded by mahavir but the history of jainism is much older than that of mahavir. This page provides information about important jain texts. The upanishads are also called as vedantas or the end of the vedas. Holy books and writings of jainism the texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the agamas, and are the canonical literature the scriptures of svetambara jainism. Jains believe that the 24 jinas revealed the essential truths of the universe and provided guidance to reaching liberation from the cycle of rebirth the teachings of the most recent jina, mahavira, were set down in the scriptures, which state the principal concepts. Jainism is an ancient indian religion prescribing a path of nonviolence for all forms of living beings in this world. The teachings of the twenty four tirthankaras were first composed in fourteen purvas and later in twelve angpravishthaagams an ang being a limb by ganadhars themselves. Jainism differs from many religions in that there is no one scripture or holy book. Bible is the holy book which consists of old and new testaments. The teachings of lord mahavira lord mahavira was born on march 30, 599 b. He followed the wellestablished creed of his predecessor tirthankar parshvanath.
The jinas, especially the 24th, mahavira, are the ultimate source of teaching for all jains. However, there is one scripture that both sects believe to be holy. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. An introduction does exactly what his subtitle indicates. Indian religion is a classification for beliefs that began in the indian subcontinent. Agams are the jain texts which are based on the discourse. The texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the.
Which religious book from a religion different than yours had the most impact on you. Mahaviras disciples compiled his words into texts or sutras, and. Jainism is distinguished from hinduism by its emphasis on asceticism and commitment to the. The puranas are holy books of hinduism that date back to gupta empire in ancient india. Even religious scriptures were considered possessions and therefore. Jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta,the quran or the bible. In jainism like buddhism there is a belief in reincarnation which eventually. Within sikhism, the holy book is called the sri guru granth sahib. Want to know more about jainism, one of the three major religions that. It has been over 2500 years since buddhism emerged as a religion, and the unique holistic spiritual healing it gives has seen it getting popular in many other parts of the world. The agam sutras show great reverence for all forms of life and strict codes of vegetarianism, asceticism, nonviolence, and opposition to war. Jain teachings and texts have also been adapted into educational materials for. The last of the twentyfour tirthankaras was vardhamana mahavira the great hero, a contemporary of lord buddha, born of royal parents in the year 599 b. The doctrine is ancient, found in buddhist texts such as the samannaphala sutta.
Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley dating back to 3000 b. Jain fundamentals jain rituals jain scriptures jain compassion. What mahavira has taught ages back still has its significance in modern day life. Traditionsbeliefs like some of the other world religions,jainism is a religion of selfhelp. Those who follow the religion believe that a nonviolent life will naturally lead to. Jainism dont have any specific holy book like the bhagavad geeta,the quran or. One among them the socalled vital question of money which is above all things the most coveted commodity but i, as a jainist, in the name of my countrymen and of my country, would offer you as the medium of the most perfect exchange between us, henceforth and forever, the indestructible, the unchangeable, the universal currency of good. The holy prophet muhammad peace and blessings of allah be on him was the greatest of allahs prophets, and the last of the lawbearing prophets. The texts containing the teachings of mahavira are called the agamas, and are the canonical literature the scriptures of svetambara jainism. These texts are the holy scriptures of the jain religion.
Guru is a sanskrit word for teacher, and within sikhism it is the title given to the 10 spiritual leaders of sikhism dating from 1469 ad to 1708 ad as well as the sri guru granth. Jains believe about the world and the divine, and looks at jainisms two major sects. Mahavira promoted these teachings and to follow the 3 jewels. Angels, the holy books of islam, prophets, judgment day, predestination and the sharia. Jain beliefs fundamental beliefs of jainism the soul is bounded by karma from the beginning of time the principles governing the successions of life cycles birth, life. The holy book of jainism is a collection of texts known as agam literature or the agam sutras. Jains see these texts, which are the transcriptions of lord mahavirs sermons, as sacred documents. In the religious scriptures, the name arihantas and tirthankaras are. The holy book of jains the kalpa sutra is the holy book of the of jainism religion. As a matter of fact, the standard of philosophy, which the arhat religion commands, is clearly manifested, albeit some changes, in the vedas, upanishads, mahabharat and the puranas. Jainism is one of the three most ancient indian religious traditions still in.
Jainism is a very ancient world religion with a history of over 3000 years, which originated in the indian subcontinent, like hinduism and buddhism. Jainism is an ancient religion from india that teaches that the way to. In these books there are lucid descriptions on the birth of jainism. Angas shatkhandgam tattvarthsutra mahapurana samaysara, kalpa sutra kalpa sutra and the tatvarthsutra. Jainism traditionally known as jain dharma, is an ancient indian religion. The religious scripture of the jains are known as agama. Indian language vocabulary is also wellexplained mostly sanskrit. Holy book and place of worship of sikhism,jainism, buddhism. The digambara sect believes that during this famine all the agamas. They believe that only two texts fully preserve parts of the purvas, or teachings of the jinas. The journey of the jain is to shed past karmas through a process of mental and physical purification.
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