Jainism was the first religion to practice ahimsa (non-violence) as a rule of life.
Jainism and Buddhism were both originally orders of monks outside of Brahmanism.
Each sect claims that it maintains the original tradition of Jainism, and that the other is an offshoot dating to around 80 C.E.
The primary figures of Jainism are the 24 Tirthankaras (prophets), the most recent of which was Mahavira (599–527 B.C.E.
According to Uttaradhyayanasutra, a disciple of Parsva met a disciple of Mahavira, and brought about a union of the old Jainism with that of Mahavira.
Jainism is at least as old as Buddhism; the oldest Buddhist works mention the Jains as a rival sect, under their old name, Nigantha, and their leader Nataputta Varddhamana.
The two sects generally agree on all principles of Jainism, but the Digambaras have unique religious ceremonies and a different ecclesiastical and literary history from the Shvetambar.
At a few million adherents, Jainism is among the smallest of the major world religions.
Jainism asserts that absolutism (especially moral absolutism) leads to fanaticism and violence, and therefore supports tolerance among beliefs, claiming that no single belief holds truth exclusively.
When this cycle reaches its lowest level, even Jainism itself will be lost in its entirety.
Jainism (pronounced jayn-izm), traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is a dharmic religion with its origins in the prehistory of India, still practiced today by several million people.
Jainism believes that there is no god who is responsible for the sorrows of life, and that the way to escape misery is through inward and outward austerity.
Jainism has a large following in the Indian region of Punjab, especially the town of Ludhiana.
Mahavira was not the founder of Jainism, but a monk who espoused the Jaina creed and became a seer and the last prophet (Tirthankara) of Jainism.
Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism have a set of concepts in common, such as karma (merit), dharma (duty), yoga (ascetic discipline) and yajna (sacrifice or worship) that permit discourse among them.
Jainism has two main variants: Digambar (the naked) and Shvetambar (wearers of white cloths).
When this cycle reaches its lowest level, even Jainism itself will be lost in its entirety.