Jainism became a new religion from 540 to 486 B.C.E. It was began by a man called Mahavira which is the “great hero” or Jina, the “conqueror.” He chose the asceticism life which means practicing self-denial and vegetarianism (Judge and John 50). His followers were called Jains, they believed that all living things such as animals, insects, and plants all have a spirit. They also practiced ahimsa, which means they were nonviolent toward all living things. For example, they will sweep the ground in advance to avoid stepping on bugs (Judge and John 50). The Jains believed that if they show respect to all living things; they can purify their spirits and be free from the cycle of death and reincarnation. Only a few people are able to fully practiced Jainism because most of the people are farmers and herders, which sometimes involved killing insects or animals. Not many people can fully practice the Jainism religion that is why it is remained as a small religion (Judge and John …show more content…
Siddhartha Gautama came from a princely family in the Himalayan and he was protected by his parents from any harm or dangers. At age 29, he went out from his palace and encountered an old man, a sick man, and a dead man (Judge and John 51). That made his determination to discover the meaning of aging, illness and death. He decided to leave his wife and chose an asceticism life, which involves self-denial, eating less and no pleasure. That life did not satisfy him as much as his old life. One day while meditating under a tree, he finally realizes the secrets of salvation (Judge and John 51). He decided to spend his whole life traveling through northeastern India to gather disciples and share wisdom. People gave him the name Buddha, which means the “enlightened one” and its followers are “Buddhists. There are Four Noble Truths in the Buddhism religion. One, life consists of pain and suffering. Two, pain and suffering are caused by desire. Three, to escape from suffering, one must curb desire. Four, desire can be curbed by righteous living. These are the Four Noble Truths that Buddhist follow. Other than the Four Noble Truths, they are similar to the Jainism by respecting all living things. Its also different because Buddhist follow meditation, self-awareness and pursuit of inner peace. While the Jains practice extreme self-denial and hard ahimsa (Judge and John