Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism were all widely popular in early India, and often caused changes that impacted all levels of society. Each of these three religions had founders that enabled a spread in popularity as well as the rapid growth of followers. Jainism was founded by the son of a chief in a small state, belonging in the warrior class. This son’s name was Vardhamana Mahavira. He believed in the Brahmanic teachings of karma and rebirth, but taught it to his followers as a slightly different version. He taught that all objects contain souls; such as plants, rocks, animals, and of course human beings. The idea of afterlife was based upon the relationship between the quantity of mass in an object and its karma. These practices promoted the careful treatment of all living things for the fear of negatively affecting ones karma. Most Vains were vegetarians and used trading as a means of income in order to avoid damaging their karma by practicing farming. Violence was refused to be practiced mainly because in turn, it harms the person committing it. The general idea behind Jainism was that …show more content…
He began preaching sermons once he reached enlightenment, after much meditation. He spent his life traveling to new places in order to gain followers and to spread knowledge of his teachings. He taught his four noble truths and the eightfold path, helping people to better understand the path towards enlightenment. These teachings basically explain how pain and suffering are normal parts of life, and if understood, can lead to the understanding of it, and the triumph over it. Additionally, those who are able to enter nirvana can free themselves from the burden of reincarnation. Buddhism ignored the caste system, allowing anyone to follow the path to enlightenment, which caused much disdain among the Brahmins in the Indian government who relied on the caste system as a method of