Reading List
- Jainism Reading ListRecommended books and films on Jainism from McKee Library's collection.
Internet Resources
- BBC JainismJainism is an ancient religion from India that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live a life of harmlessness and renunciation.The aim of Jain life is to achieve liberation of the soul
- JainismJainism is one of the oldest religions in the world. The name comes from jiva (soul or life force but, capitalized, is also given as Spiritual Conqueror) as it maintains that all living things possess an immortal soul which has always and will always exist and that one’s soul may be liberated from suffering by self-discipline in adhering to Jain tenets. It originated in Northern India and spread from there to the south, but how it began is unclear.
- Jainism: United Religions InitiativeJains believe that every living thing, no matter how small, has a soul and should not be harmed.
Streaming Media
- Related Traditions - Jain ScripturesJainism, a sister religion to Buddhism, maintains an unusual relationship to scripture. Explore the principles and ascetic customs of the faith's two groups, the Shvetambara and Digambara, which reject each other's scriptures as forgeries. Study excerpts from each group's sacred texts, revered yet never held as the heart of the faith.
- The Origins and Rise of JainismIn 500 B.C.E., the old Vedic social order was changing as the merchant classes began to achieve upward mobility. Along with these radical cultural and economic changes, alternative religious models emerged to compete with the Vedic cosmology. Here, you’ll survey Jainism’s origins and philosophy, which require a life of total nonviolence.
- Spiritual India: A Guide to Jainism, Islam, Buddhism, and HinduismIn India, religious observances weave countless golden threads into the homespun fabric of daily life. This program provides an overview of four of India’s prominent religions: Jainism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Stunning footage from all around the subcontinent displays these jewels of India’s religious heritage—along with their monuments, shrines, temples, festivals, and sacred rituals—against the backdrop of the nation’s intricate history, diverse geography, and rich variety of cultures and languages.
- Jainism: Ascetics and WarriorsAbutting the border of Pakistan, the state of Rajasthan is the home of the Jains, a relatively small but influential indigenous religious group founded by Vardhamana Mahavira, said to be the last Tirthankara. This program profiles Jainism, which espouses salvation by conquering material existence through strict ascetic discipline. The imperative detachment from worldly existence necessary for liberation is explained, as is ahimsa, the doctrine of non-injury to any living thing.
Perspectives
Understanding Jainism
Jainism is Buddhism's often overlooked cousin. As the only surviving examples of ancient India's non-Vedic religious traditions, the two religions are often grouped together as 'heterodoxies', but this is to ignore deep differences between Jain and Buddhist beliefs and practices. Unlike Buddhism, Jainism has hardly spread beyond the Indian subcontinent but Jainism survives in India where it is a prominent element in the mix of Indian religions today. As an introduction to Jainism as a religious tradition and way of life, this book pays due attention to Jainism's history and doctrinal basics. However the author emphasises the ways in which formal Jain teachings are manifested in the practices of both laity and the monastic elite; explores the distinctive Jain systems of cosmographic and biological knowledge and describes how Jainism is woven into the social identities of Jain communities in modern India.
Research & Reference
- Jainism: Credo ReferenceJainism is a religious system of India practiced by about 5,000,000 persons. Jainism, Ajivika , and Buddhism arose in the 6th cent. B.C. as protests against the overdeveloped ritualism of Hinduism , particularly its sacrificial cults, and the authority of the Veda. Jaina tradition teaches that a succession of 24 tirthankaras (saints) originated the religion. The last, Vardhamana, called Mahavira [the great hero] and Jina [the victor], seems to be historical.
- World Religion Profile: JainismThe article discusses the Jain religion. Jainism is divided into the Svetambaras and Digambaras sects and is practiced in India. It emphasizes nonviolence and vegetarianism, as well as abstinence from greed, stealing and deception. Jainism promotes a different form of karma than Buddhism or Hinduism and Jains believe in reincarnation. The Agamas, texts from Mahavira, Jainism's spiritual teacher, are Jainism's sacred texts.