What is Jainism?
Jainism is an ancient religion and philosophy of India. It teaches non-violence (ahimsa) toward all living beings, holds that every living being has a soul (jiva), and aims at liberation (moksha) of the soul from the cycle of birth and death. Jains follow the teachings of the tirthankaras, teachers who are believed to have reached liberation and shown the path; the best known historically is Mahavira.
Ahimsa: non-violence
Ahimsa is the first and central Jain principle: avoiding harm to living beings in action, in speech and in thought.
In Jain teaching the circle of living beings is wide. It includes animals and insects and, in traditional accounts, even plants and other one-sensed beings, with more care owed to beings that can feel more. This is why vegetarianism is a strong norm among Jains, and why many Jains avoid root vegetables such as onions and potatoes. How far people go varies by tradition, family and person.
Anekantavada: many-sidedness
Anekantavada is the teaching that reality is complex and can be seen from many standpoints, so no single statement captures all of the truth.
In practice it is often linked with listening to other views respectfully. Traditional Jain philosophy developed related methods, such as syadvada, for stating a claim carefully from a given standpoint.
Terms: Anekantavada, Syadvada, Naya
Aparigraha: non-possession
Aparigraha means limiting attachment to possessions and, in a deeper sense, to people, places and ideas.
Monks and nuns take it furthest and live with very little. Lay Jains usually practise it by setting personal limits on what they own and by giving, including charity.
Terms: Aparigraha, Parigraha-parimana
Karma and rebirth
Jainism teaches that souls are eternal and that a soul is bound by karma. Jain philosophy describes karma as a subtle kind of matter that attaches to the soul through actions, speech, thoughts and passions such as anger and greed.
Karma shapes a soul's future births among heavenly beings, humans, animals and plants, and hell beings. Liberation (moksha) comes when all karma has been shed, through right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.
Jains do not believe in a creator god who made or governs the universe or who judges souls. The tirthankaras and other liberated souls are revered as teachers and examples.
Terms: Karma, Moksha, Ratnatraya
The two main traditions
Jains are divided into two main traditions, Digambara and Shvetambara. The names are traditionally translated as “sky-clad” and “white-clad”: Digambara monks traditionally renounce clothing altogether, while Shvetambara monks and nuns wear white robes.
The traditions share core teachings, including ahimsa, karma and liberation, and both revere the same line of tirthankaras. They differ on some points, including which scriptures they regard as authoritative and some details of the tirthankaras’ lives. Each tradition also contains further groups, for example some that worship images in temples and some that do not.
One long-standing difference concerns women and liberation. The Digambara tradition has traditionally held that a woman must first be reborn as a man to reach liberation, while the Shvetambara tradition holds that a woman can reach it. Contemporary Jains, including nuns and scholars, interpret and discuss these positions in different ways.
Terms: Digambara, Shvetambara, Tirthankara
The five vows
Jain ethics is organised around five vows. Monks and nuns take them in their strictest form for life, as the five great vows (mahavratas). Lay Jains take them in a limited form, as the lesser vows (anuvratas).
- 1Ahimsa: non-violence.
- 2Satya: truthfulness.
- 3Asteya: not stealing.
- 4Brahmacharya: celibacy for monks and nuns, and sexual restraint or fidelity for lay Jains.
- 5Aparigraha: non-possession.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jainism a religion or a philosophy?
It is usually described as both: a religion with a way of life, worship and monastic traditions, and a philosophy with its own account of the soul, karma and the nature of reality.
Do Jains believe in God?
Jains do not believe in a creator god who made or governs the universe. They revere the tirthankaras and other liberated souls as teachers and examples, and devotion to them is part of Jain practice.
Are all Jains vegetarian?
Vegetarianism is a strong and widely followed norm among Jains, following from ahimsa. Some Jains go further, for example by avoiding root vegetables or eating after dark. Practice varies by tradition, family and person.
What is santhara?
Santhara is a voluntary, gradual fast at the end of life, taken up when death is near, with calm and with guidance. Jains who revere it distinguish it sharply from suicide, seeing it as a dispassionate acceptance of death rather than an act of despair. Critics, including some campaigners and courts in India, have argued that it amounts to suicide or that consent may not always be free. In 2015 a High Court ruled against it and the Supreme Court of India stayed that ruling, and the legal questions have been contested. Jains and others hold a range of views on it.
What is diksha?
Diksha is initiation into monastic life, when a person takes vows as a monk or nun and leaves home and possessions. It is a serious commitment, and communities often mark it with a ceremony. People take diksha at different ages. When it involves young people, it is discussed both inside and outside the community: supporters see a spiritual choice supported by family and teachers, while critics raise questions about age and consent.
Where can I learn more?
Jain Curious has a glossary of Jain terms, short essays connecting Jain ideas to modern life, and a knowledge base of questions and answers. A knowledgeable Jain, such as a teacher or a monastic, is the best guide to how these ideas are practised in your own tradition.