Jainism

Jainism is another important school of thought that spread at the same time, though its roots are said to be much older.

Like Siddhārtha Gautama, Prince Vardhamāna was born into a royal family, in the early 6th century BCE, near the city of Vaiśhālī in today's Bihar (remember V and V: Vardhamāna, Vaiśhālī). At 30 he left home in search of spiritual knowledge. He followed a strict ascetic discipline and, after 12 years, reached 'infinite knowledge', supreme wisdom. He became known as 'Mahāvīra', the 'great hero', and began to teach what he had realised.

The word 'Jain' (jaina) comes from 'jina', meaning 'conqueror'. Not a conqueror of lands or enemies, but of ignorance and attachments, to reach enlightenment. Compare the Buddha's words about conquering oneself: two schools, the same new meaning of victory.

Jain teachings include ahimsa, anekāntavāda and aparigraha. These ideas, shared to a large extent with Buddhism and Vedanta, are central to Indian culture.

• Ahimsa. Mahāvīra said: 'All breathing, existing, living, sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away.' Five things not to do, and only the first is about killing.
• Anekāntavāda means 'not just one' side or point of view: the truth has many sides and cannot be fully described by any single statement.
• Aparigraha means 'non-possession': not clinging to material things, and keeping to what is truly necessary in life.

Jainism also stresses that all creatures are connected and depend on one another, from humans to tiny invisible organisms; they support each other and cannot live without one another. Scientists studying nature have confirmed this again and again. In both Buddhism and Jainism, ahimsa also means not being violent in thought, such as having bad feelings towards anyone, and sometimes such negative thoughts are even aimed at ourselves!