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Lord Mahavira and the Jain Tradition
The word “jain” is derived from the root word jina meaning “conqueror.” A Jina is one who has conquered the desires of the senses and overcome ignorance, thus
attaining Samyak Jnana, Right (Absolute) Knowledge. The followers of this dharma (spiritual path) are known as Jains. The original impetus for this tradition came as a reaction to the violence in the form of animal sacrifices condoned in the Vedas. A seed of resistance began to germinate and from this seed Jain dharma developed.
Although specific details of the origin of Jainism are not known, but ancient tablets discovered at archeological sites in Udayagiri and Junaghara in India indicate that Jainism preceded Buddhism.
The honorable teachers of Jain dharma are known as Tirthankaras. They are considered to be free from of all impurities, liberated, and granters of freedom (absolute freedom). The meaning of tirtha is “to ferry one across the ocean of the world.” The one who has crossed this worldly ocean is known as a tirthankara. “Tirthakaroti iti tirthankara” means
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