Introduction to Jainism

Author(s): Rudi Jansma, Sneh Rani Jain
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 27

History and Tirthamkaras
Who
History has no beginning; the future has no end.
My soul has neither the one nor the other.
For a proper understanding of Jainism in its wider context it is essential to have some insight into its history, and especially its age, as well its historic relationship with Buddhism and Hinduism.
The śramana tradition
The tradition of Indian religion can be divided into two main currents. One is based on the Vedas, the universal knowledge concerning cosmos and man, and the actions (rituals) humans are supposed to perform to remain in contact with the gods and the powers of nature. There are four Vedas: the Rigveda, the Sāmaveda, the Yajurveda and the Atharvaveda, each of which has four parts. Their core consists of hymns to the gods. The various parts also contain prayers, rituals, theology, philosophy and finally the Upanishads - of which there are at least 108 - which contain the deepest and most esoteric conclusion and summary of the Vedas. The Rigveda is the most fundamental Vedic text, and belongs to the oldest published literature in the world. Before the Vedic knowledge was written down it was transmitted orally from teacher to pupil and memorized. It is said that thev