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Groundwork 3
in other lands, in other galaxies there are Jinas at present preaching the principles of Jainism in all their purity and glory.
8. Historically it has been established, as a result of research that Lord Mahaveera was not the founder of Jainism, but the 24th and the last prophet of Jainism in the current epoch of time. Actually there have been 23 prophets earlier to Lord Mahaveera who preached and preactised the same religion. The first prophet Lord Rishabh is mentioned frequently in Vedic Literature. The Bhagwat Puran has described his life-penance and liberation in detail. The historicity of 22nd and 23rd prophets called Nemi and Parshva respectively has been established by research. While Lord Nemi was contemporary to Lord Krishna being his cousin, Parshva lived in 700 B.C. in Varanasi. Some of the discoveries in Mohenjodaro and Harappa made recently indicate that Jainism might have been prevalent in India in those days. However, if we again glance at the Jain mythology, which may contain seeds of truth, such prophets are born in every epoch of time and will continue to be born and preach the same holy precepts from time to time. Thus as the universe is beginningless and endless so are the Jain precepts and practices, which have flourished in all ages and will continue to do so in future.
e have touched upon the catholicity and broadmindedness in approach as evident in Jain thought. Similarly, other significant attributes of Jainism are its harmonious and peaceful approach to life and optimistic and healthy outlook about the future of humanity and the principle of nonabsolutism.
10. Non-violence is the foundation stone of Jain religion. It teaches the principle of live and let live and believes that life is too sacred to be injured even in the minutest form. It is prohibited to destroy even the grass and trees and there are injunctions against wasteful use of water and other resources. Thus the environment and ecology of which one hears so much now-a-days, is automatically preserved under the aegis of Jain practices.
11. The principle of non-absolutism tries to find out the unity out of diverse points of view and admits that there is an element of truth in all religions which are but different approaches to the pro
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