spiritual.wiki

Tradition

Jainism

An ancient Indian tradition teaching radical non-violence and the liberation of the soul through ascetic discipline.

indianascetic

Jainism traces back to mahavira (6th c. BCE) and before him to a lineage of 24 tirthankaras (“ford-makers”). Its cosmology is strict and beautiful: every soul is already perfect; what binds it is karma, understood almost physically as subtle matter clinging through action.

The practical consequence is ahimsa — non-violence — pressed further than any other major tradition. Jain monks sweep the path before them, filter water, and avoid farming because tilling disturbs the small lives in the soil.

Jainism also contributed anekantavada, the doctrine of many-sidedness: truth exceeds any single vantage; every perspective sees a real but partial face of it.

Hover a node to see how it connects. Click to travel.

concept tradition practice teacher text