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Jainism The word “Jain” comes from jina, the “conqueror.” Jains are followers of the Conqueror, the first teacher, Adinath. There is a line of twenty-four great teachers, called tirthankaras or “finders of the path.” Vardhamma, who was known as Mahavir (599–526 BC) was the twenty-fourth teacher. Mahavir means “great hero.” He was born into a ksatriyas family near the border of India and Nepal, about 50km north of Patna. He renounced his family life and all his possessions when he was thirty years old, and wandered as an ascetic. He died in 526 BC, so this religion is ancient. Jain
temples are dedicated to one of the tirthankaras. In their temples they
offer prayers and worship to the images of the tirthankaras, as well
as circumambulating them. They also offer rice, sandalwood paste, incense,
and flowers. The Jain religion has about 4.5 million followers. A high
percentage of Jains live in Gujarat. They are highly influential in
business throughout India. Jains do not accept the Vedas, but they do believe in karma, reincarnation, that the universe is infinite, and that one can eventually attain moksha (liberation) by following the path of the tirthankaras. They believe that to become free of karma—and therefore the wheel of birth and death—requires a life of meditation and austerity, the renunciation of attachment and of impure thoughts. The tirthankaras are the supreme object of worship. They do not accept the caste system. Jains are pious. They are prohibited from lying or stealing, must avoid useless actions, talk, or thoughts, and must eat only pure food. Ideally, they should practice celibacy. Mahavir taught that one’s state of consciousness was directly influenced by the food he eats. Jains must also give charity, either in the form of knowledge or money. The Jains are divided into two sects, the Digambaras (“sky-clad”) and the Svetambaras (“white-robed”), who are more numerous. They worship in different temples. The Digambaras monks are austere. They renounce all material possessions, even to the point of wearing clothes. The Sravanabelagola shrine in Karnataka is a Digambara temple. In this temple there is an 18m high sculpture of Gomateswara which was built around 938 AD. Often Svetambara monks wear a white cloth to cover their mouths so that they will not accidentally swallow insects and thus commit violence. Jains have constructed some of the most impressively carved temples in India. The temples they build are not usually so large, but the sculptures on the temples can be spectacular. They tend to build a complex of outstanding temples at a time. One of the most important Svetambara tirthas, Shatrunjaya, near Palitana in eastern Gujarat, has hundreds of temples located on a hilltop. If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
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