Jainism originated in India, but only makes up about 0.41 percent (roughly 4.5 million) of the entire religious population. It is still note worthy due to its noble precepts and honorable ethics.
Jainism by definition is “A non-theistic religion founded in India in the 6th century BC by the Jina Vardhamana Mahavira as a reaction against the teachings of orthodox Brahmanism, and still practiced there. The Jain religion teaches salvation by perfection through successive lives, and non-injury to living creatures, and is noted for its ascetics”. Webster’s Dictionary
This interesting religion came into existence around the same time as Buddhism. There is apparently a discrepancy as to who truly instituted the religion because various sources cited different names, although the most reoccurring mention was that of Tirthankar Rishabdev as founder.
In a push to denounce extreme, forced religion, Jainism emerged denouncing the caste system employed in India even today. It also denounced absolute worship of any one supreme deity, but its followers, devout and true, conducted their worship free of violence and upheaval unlike the brutal and hostile establishment of so many religions.
At its core, Jainism is similar to the other Indian religions in the quest to bring followers to a form of purity and sanctification that put worldly suffering to an end. The path to this kind of peace is through self denial and withdrawal from secular behavior.
Due to the large number of libraries and high literacy rate among its followers Jainism stays a powerful religious force though small in number.
Jainism Symbol Courtesy of Wikipedia
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