Jainism

The roots of Jainism are in India, in the 5th to 7th centuries BCE. Although the Jains do not recognize a historical founder, they revere a spiritual leader known as Mahavira (“Great Hero”), born into India’s warrior (kshatriya) class sometime around 599 BCE (or perhaps later). This Tirthankara or “ford maker” — that is, one who helps others cross a stream or river — is believed to have been the 24th and last Jain teacher of the current Kalpa or Great Age. According to tradition, at the age of 30 he gave up all his worldly goods and became an ascetic. After a dozen years of fasting and meditation, he achieved enlightenment and went on to establish a Jain community of some 50 thousand followers.

It is quickly noticeable that the many Tirthankaras mostly predate the origins of the formal religion. These sages were not considered incarnations of a god; they were ordinary humans who reached enlightenment due to their own devotion and discipline. They were great teachers, all of whom demonstrated the basic Jain philosophy while modifying it for the times in which they lived. Apparently it was Mahavira’s many thousands of followers whose practices gave rise to what is now the Jain religion.

Mahavira may have been a contemporary of the Buddha, who is generally believed to have lived from 563 to 483 BCE, although some scholars believe the Buddha flourished a century later than these dates.

Additional resources

Articles and pamphlets

• Jainism by Annie Besant
• Jainism in Theosophy World
• Green Karma by Aidan Rankin