page_title: Jainism
section_title: Salvation, liberation
hierarchical_section_title: Jainism / Beliefs and philosophy / Salvation, liberation
caption_attribution_description: English: Mahaveer Ji Temple
context_page_description: Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is an ancient Indian religion. Its religious texts Paramagama Samayasara and Agama Tattvartha Sutra describe the process of achieving liberation from parallelist and interactive lenses respectively. Jain dharma traces its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four leaders or tirthankaras, with the first being Rishabhanatha or also known as Adinath bhagwan, who according to Jain tradition lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third tirthankara Parshvanatha in 900 BCE, and the twenty-fourth tirthankara the Mahāvīra around 500 BCE. Jains believe that Jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology.
  The main religious premises of the Jain dharma are ahiṃsā, anekāntavāda, aparigraha and asceticism. Devout Jains take five main vows: ahiṃsā, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha. These principles have affected Jain culture in many ways, such as leading to a predominantly vegetarian lifestyle. Parasparopagraho Jīvānām is its motto and the Ṇamōkāra mantra is its most common and basic prayer.
context_section_description: According to Jainism, purification of soul and liberation can be achieved through the path of three jewels: Samyak darśana (Correct View), meaning faith, acceptance of the truth of soul (jīva); Samyak jnana (Correct Knowledge), meaning undoubting knowledge of the tattvas; and Samyak charitra (Correct Conduct), meaning behavior consistent with the Five vows. Jain texts often add samyak tap (Correct Asceticism) as a fourth jewel, emphasizing belief in ascetic practices as the means to liberation (moksha). The four jewels are called moksha marg (the path of liberation).
caption: The three shikhar (top) of a Jain temple represents Ratnatraya (three jewels)
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