Mahavira was the last of the 24 Tirthankaras (“Ford-makers,” i.e., saviours who promulgated Jainism), and the reformer of the Jain monastic community. According to the traditions of the two main Jain sects, the Shvetambara (“White-robed”) and the Dig
This article, then, will deal with ethics as a field of philosophy, especially as it has developed in the West. For coverage of religiousconceptionsof ethics and the ethical systems associated with world religions,seeBuddhism;Christianity;Confucianism;Hinduism;Jainism;Judaism;Sikhism. ...
The power of Buddhism was still strong in the cities, though already declining, and Jainism, a nontheistic ascetic faith, prevailed among the merchants and manufacturers. Popular Hinduism occupied the minds of ordinary people, while city dwellers pursued ease and pleasure. There were also epicurean...