What is the origin? The Deities? The aims and goals of the religion? The leaders? Any Holy Scriptures? The main principles and beliefs? and finally, the contributions,if any, that Jainism has given to the world. Jainism seems very complicated to me, and I just wanted a clarification and the gist of the religion. Thanks.
Origin-- Cross pollination of Islam and Hinduism
Deities-- Allah, but from a Hindu perspective
Leaders-- Don't think they have any
Scriptures-- It's not the Qu'ran, but I forget what it is. Jainism is kinda obscure to most people.
Jainism has given the world hospitals for rats. You might not like rodents, but you gotta admit, that is really altruistic and Jains should be respected more for that, rather than to flat out be called lies by a non-Jain.
Google is your friend. Wiki articles are already nutshells. If you want it digested further, you've reduced the info to pablum (baby food) and mashed peas in a little tiny jar really aren't a good indication of what peas are going to be like when you grow up.
Jainism slightly predated Buddhism and is somewhat similar (about the 6Th century BC). It is atheistic(no deities although it may incorporate some Hindu deities that are treated like "arc hons" or elemental rulers but different from the way westerners think of God or gods. Jains believes in the doctrine of karma (more like Hinduism than Buddhism), does not believe in a caste system, and it believes that every senescent being has an immortal soul and that is it wrong to harm or take life even for self-preservation (food) or intentionally (like stepping on a bug). Jainists are strict vegetarians. I am not sure of their scriptures but some scriptures and religious rites are similar to Hindu rites. Mahavir is their main prophet. He is historically older than the Buddha and people often confuse his icon with that of the Buddha.
What is Jainism in a "nutshell"?
