Jainism: Difference between revisions

'''Jainism''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|eɪ|n|ɪ|z|əm}} {{respell|JAY|niz|əm}}), also known as '''Jain Dharma''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - Religions - Jainism: Dharma |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/jainism/beliefs/dharma.shtml |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> is an [[Indian religions|Indian religion]]. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four [[tirthankar|''tirthankara'']]s (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being [[Rishabhadeva]], whom the tradition holds to have lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third ''tirthankara'' [[Parshvanatha]], whom historians date to the 9th century [[Common Era|BCE]], and the twenty-fourth ''tirthankara'' [[Mahāvīra|Mahavira]], around 600 BCE. Jainism is considered an eternal ''[[dharma]]'' with the ''tirthankaras'' guiding every time cycle of the [[Jain cosmology|cosmology]]. Central to understanding Jain philosophy is the concept of ''bhedvigyān'', or the clear distinction in the nature of the soul and non-soul entities. This principle underscores the innate purity and potential for liberation within every [[Jīva (Jainism)|soul]], distinct from the physical and mental elements that bind it to the cycle of [[Saṃsāra (Jainism)|birth and rebirth]]. Recognizing and internalizing this separation is essential for spiritual progress and the attainment of ''samyak darshan'' or [[self realization]], which marks the beginning of the aspirant's journey towards [[Moksha (Jainism)|liberation]]. The three main pillars of Jainism are ''[[Ahimsa in Jainism|ahiṃsā]]'' (non-violence), ''[[anekāntavāda]]'' (non-absolutism), and ''[[aparigraha]]'' (asceticism).