Jainism (/ˈdʒeɪnɪzəm/), traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is an ancient Indian religion. Jain dharma traces its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four leaders or tirthankaras, with the first in current time cycle being Lord Rishabhanatha, whom the Jain tradition holds to have lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third tirthankara Parshvanatha whom historians date to 8th or 7th century BCE, and the 24th tirthankara, Mahāvīra around 500 BCE. Jains believe that Jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology.
The main religious premises of the Jain dharma are ahiṃsā (non-violence), anekāntavāda (many-sidedness), aparigraha (non-attachment) and asceticism (abstinence from sensual pleasures). Devout Jains take five main vows: ahiṃsā (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (not stealing), brahmacharya (sexual continence), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness). These principles have affected Jain culture in many ways, such as leading to a predominantly vegetarian lifestyle. Parasparopagraho Jīvānām (the function of souls is to help one another) is its motto and the Ṇamōkāra mantra is its most common and basic prayer.
Sikhism (/ˈsɪkɪzəm/); Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖੀ or Sikhi (Sikkhī, [ˈsɪkːʰiː], from ਸਿੱਖ, Sikh, 'disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner'), on the other hand, is a monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. One of the youngest of the major religions and the world's fifth-largest organized religion, it comprises about 25 million Sikhs as of the early-21st century. However, according to rough estimates, there are around 120–150 million (12–15 crore) Nanak Naam Lewas people across the world who also believe in 10 Sikh gurus and the Guru Granth Sahib.
Sikhism developed from the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak, the first Guru (1469–1539), and of the nine Sikh gurus who succeeded him. The tenth guru, Gobind Singh (1676-1708), named the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib as his successor, bringing to a close the line of human gurus and establishing the scripture as the eternal, religious spiritual guide for Sikhs. Guru Nanak taught that living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" is above the metaphysical truth, and that the ideal man "establishes union with God, knows His Will, and carries out that Will". Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru (1606-1644), established the concept of the mutual co-existence of the miri (political/temporal) and piri (spiritual) realms.
History
The sacred books of Jainism are called Agamas. The Jaina Agamas or scriptures are the works of the immediate disciples of Mahavira. The first sacred books of the Jaina are in Prakrit or Ardha Magadhi language. They were given their written form in the 5th century at Vallabhi, in Gujarat. Dr. L.M. Joshi is of the opinion that the literature of Jainism is vast and varied. Its subject matter includes not only ascetic culture, morality, religion and philosophy, but also fables fairy-tales, legendary romances, history, hagiography, mythology and cosmology. "The body of literature known as Agamas includes a large number of texts. These are divided into two classes" Anga Agamas or the original twelve books and Angabahya Agamas or the texts outside of the original twelve books.
The Jain Scriptures are the source books of Jain ethics, yoga, religion, philosophy and mythology. The Tattvartha Sutra is a famous book which summarizes Jain teachings. The Ācārāṅga Sūtra deals chiefly with the ethical conduct and discipline of monks. The Kalpasutra describes in detail the life-story of Mahavira. A most remarkable description of hells is given in Sutrakritanga. The Sthananga discusses dogmatic topics, The Upasakadasha deals with pious men of the time of Mahavira. The contents of other book are mixed and varied. They deal with myths and legends, ethical and monastic discipline, hells and heavens, cosmology and astrology.
The Jain system, like the Buddhist, is non-theistic. It does not acknowledge the existence of a Creator God. Another important feature is that it is a pluralistic system. The atmans are many, infinite in number. Moksha is not absorption into the supreme but the attainment of a perfect, luminous and blessed atman which is without body and without actions.
Philosophically, an important contribution of Jainism is the doctrine of anekantavada. The Jaina thinkers thought that reality can be examined from many (aneka) standpoints (anta). A thing can be described from at least seven standpoints (saptabhangi) and all can be equally true. This doctrine has contributed to the tolerance of contrary opinions among theologians and philosophers. In modern times, when exclusive claims of religions are under strain, this doctrine has a special relevance and meaning.
Sikhism (Gurmukhi: ਸਿੱਖੀ ), amongst the youngest of the major world religions, originated and primarily developed in the 15th-17th century sub-continental India (South Asia). The word Sikhi derives from the word Sikh, which itself is based on the Sanskrit root "śiṣya" (शिष्यः), meaning a "disciple" or "learner". Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the founder of Sikhi. He was born in 1469 in the village of Nankana Sahib, near Lahore in present-day Pakistan. The faith system is based on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and ten successive Sikh Gurus (divine messengers or enlighteners), with the last one being the revealed sacred scripture, Guru Granth Sahib. This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as Gurmat (literally the counsel of the Gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. With around 30 million followers worldwide, Sikhism is the fifth largest organized religion in the world.
The principal belief of Sikhism is faith in Waheguruji — represented using the sacred symbol of ik onkar, the Universal God. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the entire creation itself.
The followers of Sikhism, or Sikhs, are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh Gurus, enshrined in the holy scripture the Guru Granth Sahib. While compiling the scripture, the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji incorporated not only the writings of the Sikh Gurus, but also included selected works of many devotees and saints from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds, who believed in the unity of God and denounced caste and superstition. The text was decreed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth and last human guru, as the final guru of the Khalsa Panth.
Sikhism's traditions and teachings are distinctively associated with the history, society and culture of the Punjab region, the traditional homeland of the Sikhs and the site of the Sikh Empire. Presently, a majority of the Sikhs live in Punjab, India, and until India's partition in 1947, one million of Sikhs had lived in what is now Pakistani Punjab. Besides Sikhi and Gurmat, Sikhism is also referred to as Aad-Matt (the primal counsel).
Jain conversions to Sikhism Many Bhabra Jains were converted to Sikhism by the preacher Naria of Jahman village in Lahore district.
Gujranwala dispute
A samadhi (Indic cenotaph tomb) of Charat Singh is believed by some Sikhs to be located at Gujranwala, near the Sheranwala Bagh. Jains dispute this and claim the structure is a Jain temple built in memory of a Jain scholar named Acharya Vijayanand Suri, whose father served in the military of Maharaja Ranjit Singh as an official. This theory is further refuted by the Umdat-ut-Tawarikh, a chronicle on the reign of Ranjit Singh and his successors by Sohan Lal Suri, the court recorder of the Sikh Empire. The chronicle states that Ranjit Singh, after leaving a village named Halla, paid a visit to his grandfather's samadhi on 5 October 1838 located near a village named Jalal. It further states he made an ardas and a donation of 200 rupees. After the visit, he left for a village called Karala. Therefore, the samadhi of Charat Singh is located near a village named Jalal, not Gujranwala.
Lineage of teachers
The 24th tirthankara of the Jain community was Mahavira, the last in a series who lived in East India.
Lord Rishabha-is the first Tīrthaṅkara (lit. 'ford-maker') of Jainism and the founder of Ikshvaku dynasty. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain cosmology, and called a "ford maker" because his teachings helped one across the sea of interminable rebirths and deaths. Jain legends depict him as having lived millions of years ago. He was the spiritual successor of Samprati Bhagwan, the last Tirthankar of previous time cycle. Ajitanath Sambhavanatha Abhinandananatha Sumatinatha Padmaprabha Suparshvanath Chandraprabha Suvidhinath Swami or Puspadanta Sheetalnath Shreyansanath Vasupujya Vimalnatha Anantnath Dharmanath Shantinatha Kunthunath Aranath Mallinath Munisuvrata Naminatha Neminatha Parshwanath Mahavira- Mahavira taught that observance of the vows of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity), and aparigraha (non-attachment) are necessary for spiritual liberation. He taught the principles of Anekantavada (many-sided reality): syadvada and nayavada. Mahavira's teachings were compiled by Indrabhuti Gautama (his chief disciple) as the Jain Agamas.
Sikhism has 10 Gurus, with the religious text called the Guru Granth Sahib according status as the final Guru by Guru Gobind Singh.
Guru Nanak JI- The founder of Sikhism, studied many philosophies and talked to many scholars like the Pope at Rome, the Bani Shaiba at Mecca, the Dalai Lama at Lhasa and various Sadhus, Monks and Sufi saints. He established the base of Sikhism and is respected by Muslims, Hindus and Nanak Panthis as well. He traveled the world and was a revolutionary from birth. When he was ten years old he refused to put janeu and stopped following blind rituals. He trained in Meditation, Gatka, Shastar Vidya and Yoga. When Guru Nanak was bathing in a nearby river he did not come back to his home for three days. When he did he only said one phrase- "Na Koi Hindu, Na koi Musalman" (No one is Hindu, No one is Muslim)". Guru Nanak had discourses with many rulers and spirituals about how they were treating the peasants including Babur and The Pope. He later went to North Sri Lanka to learn the faith of the South Indians and Tibet to meet the Dalai Lama. He even performed the Hajj. Guru Angad Ji- Invented the script of Gurmukhi to show that the Sikh faith is separate from the faith of the Muslims and Hindus. He increased the practice of Langar and education within all people, the also compiled the Janamsakhis along with Bhai Bala. Through their own life conduct, Guru Ji demonstrated the principles of Nishkam Sewa (selfless service) to humanity, complete surrender to the Guru and to the will of God, and disapproval of exhibitionism and hypocrisy. .Maintained and developed the institution of Langar started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Amar Das Ji- Increased women empowerment and abolished Hindu Marriage customs, naming ceremonies and Shaving off one's head while cremating and completely eradicated the practice of Sati. Guru Ram Das Ji- Started the compilation of The Adi Granth and collected the sayings and scriptures of the earlier gurus. He also stopped many sects from rising in Sikhism such as the Minas and Udiasis.