Marriage

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Academy

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JAIN BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS
Origin
The name Jainism comes from Jina, meaning 'victor' over the passions and the self. Jinas whom Jains call tirthankaras attained omniscience by shedding 'destructve' karma (obscurer of true nature of the soul) and taught the spiritual path of happiness and perfection to all humans. The origin of Jainism remains untraceable. Jains believe time rotates in a cycle, descending and ascending. In each half of the cycle twenty-four tirthankaras establish the fourfold order (sangha) consisting of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen; and revive the teachings of previous tirthankaras. The first tirthankara in this descending cycle was Risabhdeva, who is traditionally believed to have lived thousands of centuries ago, the twenty-third was Parsvanatha (c.870 BCE to 770 BCE) and the twenty-fourth (and last) was Vardhamana Mahavira (599 to 527 BCE), whose teachings the Jains follow.
The Jain population was very high in early centuries, but now it is about five million (2001 census; according to Jain Organisations 12 million) around the world; most Jains and all their ascetics (about 10,000) live in India; 80,000 in North America and 30,000 in the UK. Jainism is not a proselytising religion, but accepts any person who follows the path of the Jinas as Jain, irrespective of labels attached by birth or otherwise,
Mahavira's teachings
Mahavira became a Jina at the age of 42, was a great reformer and addressed the various problems of the day in India, such as the caste system, slavery, and equality of women, carnal desires, killing or harming life for religious rituals or pleasure of the senses. He taught acceptance of multiple views (anekaantavada) and qualifying dogmatic assertions (syaadavaada), a spiritual democracy that made Jains tolerant to others.
Jain Sangha
This consists of male and female ascetics (sadhu and sadhvi) and male and female laity (shravaka and shravika). Mahavira attracted a large number of people, both men and women, to his teachings. Those who decided to follow the way of life like Mahavira, took total vows (mahavrata) became ascetics; others in view of their worldly duties, took them partially remained as lay people.
The vows are
Ahimsa (non-violence and reverence for all life)
Satya (truthfulness, communication in a pleasant and non-hurtful manner that is free from falsehood)
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