Jainism

an ascetic religion of india, founded in the sixth century bce that teaches the immortality and transmigration of the soul and denies the existence of a perfect or supreme being. both jainism and buddhism was rooted in dissatisfication with brahmanic ritual and was founded by rough contemporaries in the 7th-6th centuries bce by memebers of the kshatriya varna. it appealed to the m-sses by offering methods of salvation free from priestly control and rejecting the caste system. it focuses on the need for extreme self mortification, the absence of possessions (including clothing) and the necessity of ahimsa, the practice of no-harm. they practice ahimsa to the point that they wear no shoes so that they do not step on insects and kill them. by doing bad deeds, they believe that karmic matter sticks to the soul. by doing good deeds, they believe that karmic matter loosens from the soul. along with the act of ahimsa, jains cannot lie, and commit s-xual unchasity or infidelity. they must also guard against evils that can be avoided, observe regular meditation, observe regular periods of self denial, oc-ssionaly observe days as monks, control greed, and give alms (especially to ascetics).
the goal of jainism is to rid one’s soul of karmic matter and so escape samsara (cycle of re-birth/re-death) in moksha (release). there are 3 monastic sects – digambaras (the sky-clad), the shvetambaras (the white clad), and the sthanakvasis (those who reject idols and temples).
one of the oldest religious traditions of india, jainism has existed side by side with hinduism throughout its long history. with fewer than 5 million adherents and comprising less than 1% the indian population, jainism has demonstrated a remarkable tenacity and endurance and continues to exert an influence far beyond its small numbers.
jainism (the name derives from a sanskrit word meaning “follower of the jina, or conqueror”) was established in our era by mahavira (“the great hero”) in the sixth century b.c.e. in fact, mahavira is considered only the most recent in a list of 24 such teachers who brought jainism into the world during previous great cosmic eras of time. these teachers, or “tirthankaras,” taught a path to religious awakening based on renouncing the world by practice of strict religious austerity. mahavira established a monastic community of both nuns and monks. this community is the oldest continually surviving monastic community in the world.
jains reject belief in a creator god and seek release from endless reincarnation through a life of strict self-denial. the t-tle of jina is given to those who are believed to have triumphed over all material existence. as all human activity acc-mulates karma, the force that perpetuates reincarnation, the only way to free one’s jiva, or soul, from the bondage of material existence is by reducing this activity through ascetic practice. in addition, jainism places a special emphasis on ahimsa (“non-injury”) to all living beings. the concern for life is extended to all creatures, even minute microbes that are not visible. the jain ideal is a mendicant ascetic who takes extreme measures to avoid injuring all creatures. monks and nuns are sometimes seen with muslin cloths over their mouths to keep out flying insects, and they are enjoined to use small brooms to gently sweep away living creatures from their path, so as to not accidentally crush them.
the sacred texts of the jains are called agamas. the two main branches of jainism share many of the same sacred texts in common, but since their split in the fifth century c.e., they have developed different traditions of textual transmission. both branches claim that authority for the most ancient texts derives from mahavira, who was in turn enunciating sacred truths that the tirthankaras before him had taught. handed down orally in the monastic communities, the sacred literature was not written down until about 500 c.e.

there are several differences between the two traditions of jainism, the shvetambaras (“white-clad monastics”) and the digambaras (“sky-clad monastics”). shvetambaras believe that monks and nuns should be permitted to wear a simple white robe. digambaras require monks to be nude.
yo man look those guys in white are they the kkk naw ctonn those are the ppl who follow jainism they wont persecute u and skin u alive cuz ure black it is not their way to judge a person based on the color of their skin unlike the kkk who are a buch of redneck b-st-rds who f-ck anything that moves even cars
a religion where people believe that everything is sacred and should be revered. destruction of anything is outlawed. jains, or people who believe in jainism, wear loose white garments with sandals and a mouth flap. this traditional outfit is so that nothing, even insects will not be accidentally harmed. they also usually carry some sort of broom to clear p-ssage ways of living things for them to step. they are very reclusive and good whole hearted people.
peep dem ni66a jains in the hizouse foo.