Jainism in Early India
During the fifth and sixth centuries B.C.E. many new religions and philosophies sprang up in India that appealed to the interests of new social classes. Among the most influential of these new religions was Jainism. Jainism had strong foundations, and formed into a unique and influential religion, but many factors might explain why it never became as successful as Hinduism or Buddhism. Vardhamana Mahavira was a great teacher of Jainism who helped it become popular. Legend has it that he spent twelve years in the Ganges Valley, after which he gained enlightenment and many disciples. These disciple
The Jains did not recognize these classes of human beings based on caste or jati. Jainism represented an attractive alternative to the traditional sacrificial cults of early India. A more popular and practical alternative to the Brahmins' cult was called for. The way that the people underwent purification was by observing the law of ahimsa, or nonviolence to other living things or their souls. Only by purification from selfish behavior could souls gain release from their imprisonment, shed their karma, and reach the eternal state of bliss. They did little overt violence to other creatures, and appreciated the high moral standards that Jainism encouraged. The Jains believed that almost all occupations inevitably entailed violence of some kind: farming included the killing of pests and the harvesting of living plants, leather tanning on the slaughter of animals, and so on. Jain monks went to extremes observing this law, and avoiding all the tiny souls that surrounded them. It has simply been to difficult, or even impossible, for most people to observe. Ultimately, Jainist ethics were so demanding that few people other than devout monks could hope to observe them closely. Because of this, their faith became popular especially among members of lower castes who did not command much respect in the traditional social order, including merchants, scholars, and literary figures. Thus for most people Jainism was not a practical alternative to the religion of the Brahmins. In spite of the moral respect it has commanded and the influence it has wielded through the centuries, Jainism has always been the faith of a small minority. Jains believed that everything in the universe possessed a soul, and could experience physical and psychological suffering.
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