Beliefs

Dharma

The path that Mahavira advocated for Jains was one of strict asceticism, renunciation and moral cultivation.

God

Jains do not believe in a God or gods, but they do believe in divine beings who are worthy of worship.

Karma

Karma determines the quality of life. Jains believe a soul can only achieve liberation by getting rid of all the karma attached to it.

Reincarnation and deliverance

The quality of a soul after death is determined by its karma at the time of death. Reincarnation if it's bad, and deliverance if it's good.

The soul

For Jains body and soul are different things. The body is just an inanimate container; the conscious being is the jiva.

The Three Jewels

The Three Jewels are right faith, right knowledge and right conduct.

The Universe

Jains believe that the universe we perceive really exists and is not an illusion. It contains two classes of thing: jivas - living souls, and ajivas - non-living objects.

Women in Jainism

Jainism is in many ways dedicated to equality, but for some Jains, a woman's very femaleness creates spiritual inequality.