The Encyclopedia of World Religions

. J ,

sara. At least in its present form Jainism grew from a broad movement in northeast India in the sixth century B . C . E . At that time sramanas —men and to a lesser extent women—gave up ordinary family life. They also rejected the SACRIFICES described in the sacred books known as the V EDA . Instead, they wandered, begged for food, and devoted them selves to teachings and practices that promised spiritual liberation. The most famous religion to grow out of this movement is B UDDHISM . Jainism is another. Buddhism is practiced all over the world, but Jainism remains confined to India. In the centu

Jacob Hebrew patriarch; also known as Israel. According to the B IBLE , Jacob was the son of Isaac and the grandson of A BRAHAM . There is no way to verify whether he actually lived. Many scholars feel that he, like Isaac and Abraham, may simply be a legendary ancestor. The Bible tells several well-known stories about Jacob. A younger brother, he deceived his blind father and cheated his older brother, Esau, out of his father’s blessings. Fleeing, he slept with his head on a rock, saw ANGELS ascending to and descending from HEAVEN (the well-known “Jacob’s ladder”), and consecrated the place as Bethel. He worked 14 years for his Uncle Laban in order to marry his cousins, Leah and Rachel. With them and two concubines he fathered the ancestors of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel. On his way to meet his brother Esau, Jacob wrestled all night long with what most readers take to be an angel or divine being. In the process, he received the name Israel. It may mean “G OD rules.” Jainism A religion in India. Jains get their name because they follow the teachings and example of the jina, which means victor. For them, the victor is M AHAVIRA (sixth century B . C . E .). He discovered the way to conquer the forces that keep people bound to continuous rebirth, known in Sanskrit as SAMSARA . Jains claim that their religion is millions of years old. For them, Mahavira is the 24th in a line of tirthankaras or ford-makers. These are people who have made fords across the stream of sam

Jainism symbol

S 228