Pending review. This page is compiled from general sources and has not yet been checked by a knowledgeable reviewer. Jain practice varies between traditions, sub-sects, regions and families — please confirm anything you intend to act on with your own guru or sangh.
What do Jains believe?
Jains believe in an eternal soul (jiva) bound by karma, which is understood as physical matter rather than only a moral principle. Liberation comes from removing that karma through right faith, right knowledge and right conduct — the three jewels — practised through non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity and non-possession.
For the fuller picture, see the dedicated pages on the three jewels, the five vows, karma theory and the nav tattva, each of which this page only summarises.
Do Jains believe in God?
Jainism does not teach a creator god who made the universe or who grants liberation. It reveres the Tirthankaras — liberated human teachers, the most recent being Mahavira — as guides who show the path, not as deities who intervene on a devotee's behalf.
Who founded Jainism?
Jainism has no single founder in the usual sense. Mahavira, the twenty-fourth and most recent Tirthankara, restated and revitalised an existing lineage; Jain tradition holds the teaching to be eternal, taught anew by a Tirthankara in every cosmic era.
What is the Jain symbol and what does it mean?
The Jain hand symbol (often shown with a wheel in the palm) is inscribed 'parasparopagraho jivanam' — 'all life is bound together by mutual support' — and the wheel represents the vow to halt the cycle of rebirth through Right Conduct. The swastika, an ancient auspicious symbol, is also widely used, representing the four possible states of rebirth.
Why do Jains avoid eating root vegetables?
Root vegetables (and other foods classed anantkay) are believed to house infinite undifferentiated souls in a single body, and pulling them up kills the whole plant rather than harvesting a part of it. See the food-rules and can-Jains-eat pages for the full reasoning and the sect and family variation in how strictly this is observed.
What is the difference between Digambar and Shwetambar Jains?
They are the two main Jain traditions, differing chiefly on monastic clothing (Digambar monks are unclothed; Shwetambar monks and nuns wear white robes), which scriptures survived, and whether women can attain liberation in a female birth. See the dedicated comparison page for the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
No. Jainism is a distinct, independent religion with its own teachers, scriptures and metaphysics, and was granted national minority status in India in 2014. See the Jainism vs Hinduism page for a full comparison.
Jain tradition describes itself as beginningless, taught anew by a Tirthankara in each era. Historically, Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, is commonly accepted by scholars as a historical figure who predates Mahavira by roughly two and a half centuries.
Global estimates commonly range from roughly four to six million, with the great majority in India. Figures vary by source and census methodology, so this page does not state a single precise number.
Paryushan (Shwetambar) and Das Lakshan (Digambar) are the most significant annual observances, both centred on repentance and forgiveness and concluding in Samvatsari and Kshamavani respectively. Mahavir Jayanti marks Mahavira's birth, and Diwali marks his nirvana.
Sources
- Padmanabh S. Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification
- Paul Dundas, The Jains (2nd edition, Routledge)