What Is Jainism?

Originating in India more than 2,500 years ago, Jainism is one of the world's oldest religions still practiced today. It shares some notable concepts with Hinduism and Buddhism, such as reincarnation and karma, the belief that actions in one lifetime affect subsequent lives.

Jains seek moksha, the spiritual liberation from the endless cycle of rebirth, through a disciplined life centered on ahimsa, nonviolence toward all living things.

According to Jainism, the universe has no creator god, beginning or end. It passes through a never-ending series of cosmic cycles that each last for billions of years.

The teachings of Jainism are also believed to be eternal and have no founder, but 24 spiritual leaders are born during each half of a cosmic cycle to guide followers on the path to liberation. Called Jinas (meaning “conqueror” in Sanskrit) or Tirthankaras ("bridge-builders”), these enlightened, omniscient beings spend their lives revealing the Jain teachings anew.

Mahavira (“Great Hero”) is the 24th and final tirthankara in this cosmic cycle. Sometimes considered the founder of modern Jainism, Mahavira (around 599–527 B.C.) was an older contemporary of Siddhārtha Gautama, the Buddha (around 566–486 B.C.). Their traditional biographies share similarities. Born to a noble family in what is now Bihar, India, Mahavira renounced his privileged life at age 30 following the death of his parents and spent more than a decade practicing extreme asceticism before before attaining kevala jnana, or perfect knowledge. According to Jain tradition, he attained moksha at his death.

Mahavira’s predecessor was Parshvanatha, the 23rd tirthankara who possibly taught during the eighth century B.C.

The “three jewels,” or guiding principles, of Jainism are right belief, right knowledge and right conduct. Jains cultivate these jewels through the five great vows: nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, non-attachment and chastity, the latter of which Mahavira added to Parshvanatha’s original doctrine.

Nonviolence is the most fundamental principle in Jainism, guiding followers to minimize harm to all living beings, down to microscopic organisms. Jains are traditionally strict vegetarians and many don’t eat root vegetables to avoid destroying plants.

Jains believe all living beings possess a jiva, or soul. Another important Jain principle is anekantavada, the belief that reality is complex and can be understood from multiple perspectives.

Monks and nuns observe the five vows in their strictest form, while laypeople take less stringent versions compatible with family and working life. There are also different beliefs and observances between Jainism’s two major monastic sects, the Digambara (“sky-clad”) and the Svetambara (“white-clad"). Digambara monks renounce clothing and material possessions, and the tradition holds that women must be reborn as men before they can attain moksha. Svetambara monks and nuns wear white robes, and their tradition holds that women can attain liberation.

Several million Jains live in India, where Jainism is the smallest of the country’s six major religious groups. Smaller Jain communities are established around the world. Jainism’s philosophy of nonviolence notably influenced Mahatma Gandhi's campaign of nonviolent resistance against British rule.