________________
The Fundamentals of Jainism
I
Speculations about man, the universe and the relation between them, and about the goal of human life have been agitating man's mind from times immemorial. This has given rise to many philosophycal systems and religious doctrines, one of which systems is known as Jainism. Its followers, nowadays mostly confined to India, hold a prominent place in this country. They have a most ancient culture,1 holy places scattered throughout the country and numerous historical monuments as symbols of their glorious past and evidence of their love of art and sculpture.
It is quite wrong to believe, as was held in the greater part of the 19th century, that Jainism was either a break away from the Vedic religion of the ancient Indian Aryans or
1 See J. P. Jain: Jainism The Oldest Living Religion.
2
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com
