Introduction to Jainism

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

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HISTORY AND TIRTHAMKARAS
face with the ultimate, unveiled reality. That is why Rishabha and Manu embody ideas which, for all wise people of whatever name all over the earth, represent the original source of inspiration and highest example. One of Rishabha's followers was his grandson Marichi, who then "failed," but who after many rebirths in the eons to follow was finally born as Mahāvīra, who became the 24th Tīrthamkara - now only some 25 centuries ago.
Buddhas and Tirthamkaras
There are many similarities between the stories about the Tīrthamkaras and the one about Siddhartha who became Gautama Buddha. All were born as kshatra dharis (kshatriyas) of the highest order (princes) and they pursued a normal life until they were almost 30 years old, and a number of them married and had children. Then, when the right moment had come, they left their parental environment and withdrew into the forest for ascetic training, reaching ever higher realizations. Finally they sat under a tree and in deep meditation fought their last battle against illusion to arise as an omniscient Jina (conqueror) or Buddha (awakened one) in the early morning, thus achieving the highest enlightenment. Like Gautama Buddha, who lived so many ages later, Rishabha then waited some time before he started teaching. First they had to find pupils of such a high level of realization that they would be able to benefit from their teacher. They introduced or restored and disseminated the dharma (the doctrine). Dharma in Jainism also means "the inherent quality of the soul." So the teachings of Jains and Buddhists show many similarities. But there are differences as well. One of these is the Jain emphasis on asceticism – which in the later stages takes very extreme forms as a necessary condition to counter all obstructive karmas and to reach liberation and enlightenment. Prince Siddhartha, too, who was to become the Buddha - who lived in the period when the śramana religion of the 23rd Tirthamkara, Parśvanath, Mahāvīra's predecessor,
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