As with Hinduism, India is also the birthplace of Jainism and Buddhism. There are many contrasts as well as similarities between these two religions. Jainism dates to the 6th century B.C.E. in India. Mahavira, the last of the Tirthankara’s, is considered the founder of Jainism, and was believed to be a contemporary of Buddha. The ultimate goal of Jainism the liberation of the self (jiva) from rebirth, which is attained through the elimination of accumulated karma (the consequences of previous actions).
Approximately during the same time Mahavira was teaching the Jain path, a man by the name of Siddhartha Gautama, who is typically referred to as the Buddha (translated to the "Awakened" or "Enlightened One"), was preaching another alternative …show more content…
The monks live in communities and practice their doctrines according to an established code of conduct. Renunciation and self-discipline are central to both religions as the principal means for liberation.
Although Jainism and Buddhism have many parallels, they also have very distinctive variances, which will be discussed in the next section.
Which of their features are unique, making each of them distinctively different from the other? Though Jainism and Buddhism hail from the Indian subcontinent, they differ characteristically. While Buddhism spread throughout the world, Jainism remained confined within a limited region in India. Mahavira identified with the Tirthankaras who were worshipped in temples and religious places not as gods but as enlightened beings who manifest upon earth as a part of human destiny. Jain teachings recognize that we humans are imperfect but hold out the promise that through careful control of our senses and thoughts we can attain perfection, freedom, and happiness. Siddhartha, on the other hand, had no such lineage and pursued a very different and difficult goal, that of finding the way to total liberation from …show more content…
Buddhism believes in the universality of karma, which is a result of one’s action. The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path are the best means to minimize the negative effects of karma and work for salvation. Unlike Buddhism, Jainism believes karma is not a mere effect on one’s action but a real substance that flows into each individual body or jiva (soul). This karmic substance (minute particles that we accumulate) remains attached to the being until it is fully cleansed through the observation of vows, pure conduct, and severe
Approximately during the same time Mahavira was teaching the Jain path, a man by the name of Siddhartha Gautama, who is typically referred to as the Buddha (translated to the "Awakened" or "Enlightened One"), was preaching another alternative …show more content…
The monks live in communities and practice their doctrines according to an established code of conduct. Renunciation and self-discipline are central to both religions as the principal means for liberation.
Although Jainism and Buddhism have many parallels, they also have very distinctive variances, which will be discussed in the next section.
Which of their features are unique, making each of them distinctively different from the other? Though Jainism and Buddhism hail from the Indian subcontinent, they differ characteristically. While Buddhism spread throughout the world, Jainism remained confined within a limited region in India. Mahavira identified with the Tirthankaras who were worshipped in temples and religious places not as gods but as enlightened beings who manifest upon earth as a part of human destiny. Jain teachings recognize that we humans are imperfect but hold out the promise that through careful control of our senses and thoughts we can attain perfection, freedom, and happiness. Siddhartha, on the other hand, had no such lineage and pursued a very different and difficult goal, that of finding the way to total liberation from …show more content…
Buddhism believes in the universality of karma, which is a result of one’s action. The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path are the best means to minimize the negative effects of karma and work for salvation. Unlike Buddhism, Jainism believes karma is not a mere effect on one’s action but a real substance that flows into each individual body or jiva (soul). This karmic substance (minute particles that we accumulate) remains attached to the being until it is fully cleansed through the observation of vows, pure conduct, and severe