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pervasive influence on Indian life and its outlook. Jainism, with its distinctive views on matters such as non-violence and intellectual relativity, has relevance to the life and thought of not only of this century but also for many centuries to come. Jainism has succeeded in maintaining its identity and integrity as a separate system in the midst of preponderant Hinduism. Jainism is a complete system with all necessary branches such as ontology, metaphysics, philosophy, epistemology, ethics, and rituals. It has its own scriptures, temples (architecturally, some of the most beautiful temples in India are the Jain temples) and deities, places of worship and pilgrimage, and its own festivals and fairs. The organized religious group (Sangha) consists of ascetics and householders of both genders. Jainism was not founded by any one individual. It is a philosophy, which developed over a long period of time and then acquired its own distinctive status within the broad Indian system. Its last spiritual propounder, Lord Mahavira, was a contemporary of Lord Buddha and more than 2500 years ago he lived in the same Indian state of modern Bihar, as did Lord Buddha. Lord Mahavira's teachings exerted a very strong influence on Indian thought and way of life. ( source, Late Dr. L. M Singhvi). It is worth mentioning here that in the year 2001, Jains the world over celebrated the 2600th birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira (he was the 24thTirthankar. The 23rd, Lord Parshavanatha, was 250 years before him and the 22nd, Lord Neminatha, a contemporary of Lord Krishna of the Hindus, was at least two thousand years before the 23rdTirthankar). The Sanskrit word “Jain” means the followers of Jinas—those who conquered their selves by conquering their own inner enemies and passions of anger, greed, ego, deceit, attachment, aversion, hatred...and attained complete perfection and omniscience. Jainism is well known in India, but because of its non- proselytizing (noncoversio) nature, it is relatively much less known outside India although its principles of nonviolence and intellectual relativity are quite well recognized. In
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An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
| SR No. | 007754 |
| Book Title | Ahimsa Crisis You Decide |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Sulekh C Jain |
| Publisher | Prakrit Bharti Academy |
| Publication Year | 2016 |
| Total Pages | 328 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, D000, & D005 |
| File Size | 6 MB |