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Jainism Is The Last Of The Great Teachers

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Jainism is an India religion with most of it 's more than four million followers residing there. It was founded by Mahavira, who lived from 599 to 527 BCE. Mahavira was born into the kshatriya class of rulers and warriors. At the age of thirty he renounced the privileges this class afforded him to live an ascetic life. Reaching enlightenment only fourteen years later, Mahavira became a Vardhamana gaining followers until thirty years later when he starved himself to death. Mahavira is called the last of the great teachers. Jainism arose during the 6th century BCE. There were twenty-four great religious leaders called Tirthankaras including Mahavira (the 24th). Tirthankaras were all enlightened humans whose teachings and stories point the way for others. Like Hinduism and Buddhism Jainism is focused on separating from a physical form and escaping from reincarnation (The unhappy passage of the soul from one body to another). They believe they can do this through physical denial and mental self-discipline, when they reach enlightenment through these means they are liberated. However Jainism did oppose Hindu priestly groups who emphasized salvation by sacrifices they controlled. Another difference between Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism is, even though they use a lot of the same words and imagery, the Jains have put many of them into a different context. Some of the main symbols and meanings of those symbols for Jainism include the shape of human torso which represents the

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