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ESSENCE OF JAINISM • Jainism is the religion professed by the Jains, so called because they follow the system expounded and preached by the Jina.
It is one of the oldest living religions of India, purely indigenous in origin, and represents that current of ancient Indian 1. Jina ( lit. conqueror of self ) is also known as
Arhanta, the adorable one, Kevalin or possessor of absolute knowledge, Nirgrantha or the one without attachment, Shramana, the practiser of equanimity and Tirthankara (lit. ford-finder), one who establishes the path that takes people safely across the ocean of misery, the round of births and deaths, that is, the samsara. Consequently, Jainism has also been known as the creed of the Jinas, Arhantas, Nirgranthas, Shramanas or Tirthankaras. There have been innumerable Jinas or Arhantas, but only twentyfour of them are designated the Tirthankaras.
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