History & Practice📜 Knowledge base
What's the actual difference between Jainism and Buddhism?
They seem really similar from the outside.
Jain Curious team
Top answer
They're siblings. Both came from the same wandering-ascetic (shramana) movement in eastern India around the 5th century BCE, and Mahavira and the Buddha were contemporaries. Both reject a creator god and the authority of the Vedas, and both teach karma, rebirth and liberation. The big differences: • The soul: Jainism says every being has a real, eternal soul (jiva). Buddhism teaches anatta, no permanent self. • Karma: in Jainism it's literally subtle matter that sticks to the soul. In Buddhism it's more about intention and mental conditioning. • Asceticism: Buddhism calls itself the 'middle way' between indulgence and extreme austerity. Jainism embraces rigorous austerity, especially for monks and nuns. • Ahimsa: both value it, but Jainism takes it further (diet, root vegetables, microbes).