Jainism

By: Emma Milch Agledahl!

History• No-one knows exactly how it

started.• 24 succeding followers (Tirthankaras)started the

reliogion, according to myth. • Rishabha was the first of the 24,

and lived around 7000BC. It is unknown if he really existed.

• All the 24 followers were part of creating the Jain religion.

• Mahavira was the last of the 24, and the most powerful, many people started following him.

• Around 500BC Jainism parted into two separated

directions, called Schvetambaras and

Digambaras.

Mahavira•Mahavira was a prince that gave up everything to find spiritual meaning.•Considered founder of Jainism.•Was one of the 24 Tirthankaras.

•When more people started following him, he became a quite powerful man.

•Historical evidence has proved that Mahavira did exist.

Cool Facts• Founded the same period Buddhism was founded.

• Founded in Eastern India.• Has around 5 million followers or more!

• Most of the Jains are from India, but jains exist also in Belgium, Hong Kong, Canada, Usa, Japan and Singapore.• Their sacred texts are called Agamas, is said to originate

from Mahavira• All followers must be vegetarians!

• Their «leaders» are monks.• The Digambaras monks are not allowed to wear clothes

at all!

Religious rulesAllowed

• Fruit that has fallen down from the tree.

• They are allowed to use violence in self-defence.

• Monks are encouraged to do research and become

more knowledgeable.• Accept many different world views as different

parts of the truth.

Not allowed• No meat

• No killing any living creatures (including wasps, and bugs!)

• Preferably not eating fruits or vegetables were you need to

kill the plant.• The Schvetambaras Jains are

prefered to only wear white clothes.

• No violence

Six blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by feeling different parts of

the elephant's body. The blind man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the one who feels

the tail says the elephant is like a rope; the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree

branch; the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall; and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid

pipe.

A king explains to them:

All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently is because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all the features you

mentioned."Elephant and the blind men". Jain Stories. JainWorld.com. Retrieved 2006-08-29.

Different parts of truth