 Mahavira  Founder of Jainism  24 th tirthankara  Contemporary of Siddartha  Share commonalities with Siddartha  Tirthankaras  24 conquerors who have shown the way to salvation  jinas

 Kevala  Perfect and complete knowledge that is Jain enlightenment; when one reaches enlightenment they are free from the damaging effects of karma and are liberated from samsura  Moksha- Hinduism  Nirvana - Buddhism

 Loka  The Jain universe- finite but vast  All things live within this space, living and non-living  Cyclical; upward and downward cycles  6 ages of 2100 years each- 5 th age- downward  Types of living things  Jivas- have souls,  Ajivas- non living, space, time, motion, rest, all forms of matter

 Division into sects  Shvetambara  “Those whose garment is white”- dress in white robes  Beg with bowls  Women can achieve kevala  Need for food continues after kevala  Digambara  “Those whose garment is sky”- naked (except for the women)  Use hands for begging  Women must be reborn as men to achieve kevala  After kevala food is no longer necessary

 Division of adherents  Ascetics  Depending on sect decision to become an ascetic is either 8 years old or the beginning of young adulthood.  Family ties are almost completely severed  “marriage” ceremony is used for initiation  Given a whisk, bowl and they repeat vows and pull out tufts of hair- head out to a mendicant life  Laity  99% of the Jains  Vegetarian  Fasting  Achieve a good rebirth

 Five Great Vows: binding for all ascetics  Do not injure other life forms  Avoid lying  Do not take what has not been given  Renounce sexual activity  Renounce possession  Ahimsa  Avoidance of violence toward other life forms and active sense of compassion toward them  Aceticism  Vegetarianism  Avoid meat and any food that has a life form (seeds)

 Living according to the Twelve Vows (laity)  Do not intentionally injure a sentient life form (2 senses)  Avoid lying  Do not take what has not been given  Avoid unchastity  Avoid greed  Avoid excessive travel  Avoid excessive indulgence in things, food or clothing  Avoid any unnecessary harmful behavior  Restrict activities to a certain place  Perform standing meditation regularly  Fast on certain days  Give to ascetics and charitable causes

 Daily repentence  Twice a day in the presence of one’s teacher  Acknowledging wrongdoing  Recitation of a Jain scripture  Devotions  Silent meditation  48 minutes standing in silent mediation  Offers hymns of praise  Formal acts of respect to one’s teacher  Fasting  No voluntary starvation  Fasting on prescribed days

WHISKSTATUES