Jainism in Mumbai/Bombay India
In Mumbai/Bombay, hotel accommodations are varied, and it is easy to find hotels that will fit into any budget. Many travel to to Mumbai each year to experience the diversity of the culture, the food of the different regions, the traditions, the crafts and festivals. One of the cultures living within the city is the population of Indians that follow the Jain religion. The philosophy was originally taken from the Ancient texts and teaching of India, the Tirthankaras. This is one of the influential religions in the modern society of India today, even as there are one of the smaller groups in the country. Many people in other countries have become members of this group, such as the countries throughout Western Europe, the Far East, Africa and the United States.
Jainism was established during the same time that Buddha was alive and teaching, by a man known as Mahavira. This title is translated to mean ‘great hero’ in English. He was older than Buddha, and both have similarities in there beliefs and philosophical ideas. For instance, both men did not respect the caste systems and the barriers it has placed on the people in the country for thousands of years. The sacred nature of the Vedas is also something that both question.
And both men renounced their royal upbringing and all the material aspects of this world. For more than two thousand years the Jains have influenced many of India’s spheres in society, such as the political, the religious, the economic and the ethical aspect of culture. The stress is put on the independent spiritual connection to the world, and that all of life is equal important. Much as in Buddhism ideology, all emphasis is place on the practice of non-violence and and of self control over the worldly passions and desired in order to find the true nature of one’s soul. Scholarship and education is an important tradition, and those in this culture are among the most educated members of the country’s population. The oldest libraries in India are the Jain’s. This is just one of the many interesting cultures and aspects of the societies of India.
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