<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Jainism (/ ˈdʒeɪnɪzəm /), traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is an ancient Indian religion . Followers of Jainism are called "Jains", a word derived from the Sanskrit word jina (victor) and connoting the path of victory in crossing over life's stream of rebirths through an ethical and spiritual life . Jains trace their history through a succession of twenty - four victorious saviours and teachers known as tirthankaras, with the first being Rishabhanatha, who is believed to have lived millions of years ago in Jain tradition, and twenty - fourth being the Mahāvīra around 500 BCE . Jains believe that Jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology . </P> <P> The main religious premises of Jainism are ahiṃsā ("non-violence"), anekāntavāda ("many - sidedness"), aparigraha ("non-attachment") and asceticism . Jain monastics, renunciants, and devout householders take five main vows known as vratas, outlined in their oldest surviving text, the Acaranga Sūtra: ahiṃsā ("non-violence"), satya ("truth"), asteya ("not stealing"), brahmacharya ("celibacy or chastity"), and aparigraha ("non-attachment"). These principles have impacted Jain culture in many ways, such as leading to a predominantly vegetarian lifestyle that avoids harm to animals and their life cycles . Parasparopagraho Jīvānām ("the function of souls is to help one another") is the motto of Jainism . Ṇamōkāra mantra is the most common and basic prayer in Jainism . </P> <P> Jainism has two major ancient sub-traditions, Digambaras and Śvētāmbaras; and several smaller sub-traditions that emerged in the 2nd millennium CE . The Digambaras and Śvētāmbaras have different views on ascetic practices, gender and which Jain texts can be considered canonical . Jain mendicants are found in all Jain sub-traditions, with laypersons (śrāvakas) supporting the mendicants' spiritual pursuits with resources . </P>

The jain principle of non attachment is called