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Jainism: East India
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Jainism was founded byRishabha, and attained a major status in India at the time of Mahavira , who was born in about 599 B.C. in Northern India, in the town of Vyshali, in the present day Bihar, in a royal family. When he was about 30 years old, after he had been a householder, Mahavira decided to abandon his aristocratic surroundings in favor of an ascetic life. He cast aside his fine raiment, gave away his treasures, and embarked upon a severe regimen. For twelve years he underwent castigation, enduring bodily and spiritual injury, and emerged a teacher of many monks, a renowned preacher, and a profounder of a new religion.
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Jainism (pronounced in English as /ˈdʒeɪ.nɪzm̩/) or Jain Dharma is a religion and philosophy from ancient India. In modern India, Jainism is a minority, but it is growing in the United States, Western Europe, Africa, and other countries. It was founded by Lord Rishabhdev. Jainism has influenced religion, ethics, politics, and economics in India for more than 2000 years. Jainism emphasizes the spiritual independence and equality of all life, and ... non-violence. Self-control is how Jains reach the true nature of the soul.
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Jainism began in northeast India during the sixth century B.C. It was founded by a man known as Mahavira, or "Great Hero," who is regarded as the last of the master teachers known as Tirthankaras. Jainism takes its name from the word jinas, which means "conquerors" and refers to victory over the cycles of life. The ultimate goal of the soul is moksha, or liberation. Adherents believe that Jainism dates from time immemorial and is based on the teachings of twenty-four Tirthankaras.
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Jainism is an Indian religion that emphasizes complete non-violence and asceticism. It began in the sixth century BC, the same time Buddhism was developing. The faith is named for the jinas, spiritual conquerors who have achieved liberation and perfection. Included among these are the 24 spiritual leaders called "ford-makers" or tirthankaras. Jain ritual centers around on sacred images and mantras.
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Jainism is rapidly expanding in the West as non-Indians convert to the religion. With 10 to 12 million followers,[5] Jainism is among the smallest of the major world religions, but in India its influence is much more than these numbers would suggest. Jains live throughout India; Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat have the largest Jain population among Indian states. Karnataka and Bundelkhand Madhya Pradesh have relatively large Jain populations. There is a large following in Punjab, especially in Ludhiana and Patiala, and there were many Jains in Lahore (Punjab's historic capital) and other cities before the Partition of 1947, after which many fled to India. There are many Jain communities in different parts of India and around the world.
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During this period, Jainism spread westward to Ujjain, where it apparently enjoyed royal patronage. Later, in the 1st century BCE, according to tradition, a monk named Kalakacarya apparently overthrew King Gardabhilla of Ujjain and orchestrated his replacement with the Shahi kings (who were probably of Scythian or Persian origin). During the reign of the Gupta dynasty (320c. 600 CE), a time of Hindu self-assertion, the bulk of the Jain community migrated to central and western India, becoming stronger there than it had been in its original home in the Ganges basin.
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