Jainism

Jainism, also called Jain Dharma, is an independent religious tradition that arose in the Indian subcontinent. Jain teachings describe a succession of 24 Tirthankaras, or spiritual teachers; Mahavira is revered as the 24th and most recent Tirthankara of the present cosmic cycle. Jain tradition presents its teaching as eternal rather than founded by a single individual, while historians study Mahavira and earlier teachers in reconstructing the tradition's ancient development. The evidence and dating for its earliest history are not uniform, so religious accounts and historical reconstruction should be distinguished.

A central religious goal is moksha: liberation of the soul from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. In Jain thought, souls are enduring beings, and karma binds them to embodied existence. Spiritual progress therefore involves stopping new karmic accumulation and removing existing bondage through disciplined conduct, knowledge, and renunciation. Jain philosophical accounts often describe reality as many-sided (anekāntavāda): a single description may capture only part of a complex subject. This idea informs Jain discussions of knowledge and perspective; it is not simply a claim that every statement is equally accurate.

Ahimsa, commonly translated as nonviolence or non-harming, is a defining Jain ethical principle. Jain teachings extend concern to living beings broadly and connect non-harm with self-discipline and spiritual progress. Other central commitments include truthfulness, not taking what is not given, restraint, and limiting attachment to possessions. These principles are expressed through vows and everyday choices; monastic and lay communities follow different levels of discipline, and actual practice varies among individuals and communities. Jain philosophy also emphasizes non-attachment (aparigraha) and non-absolutism, alongside nonviolence.

Jain religious life has developed through interdependent monastic and lay communities. It includes ethical observances, study, ritual and devotional activity, ascetic practices, and rules of life. The two major traditions are Digambara and Śvetāmbara. They share key teachings but differ in parts of their scriptural traditions and in some interpretations of monastic conduct and religious doctrine. Their historical separation developed over time, and accounts of its beginnings are complex; neither school should be treated as representing every Jain practice.