Jainism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Modern era== {{Main|Jain communities}} Followers of Jainism are called "Jains", a word derived from the Sanskrit ''jina'' (victor), which means an omniscient person who teaches the path of salvation.{{sfn|Upinder Singh|2016|p=313}}{{sfn|Sangave|2006|p=15}} The majority of Jains currently reside in India. With four to five million followers worldwide,{{Sfn|Voorst|2014|p=96}}{{sfn|Melton|Baumann|2010|p=lix, 1395}} Jainism is small compared to [[Major religious groups|major world religions]]. Jains form 0.37% of [[Jainism in India|India]]'s population, mostly in the states of [[Jainism in Maharashtra|Maharashtra]] (1.4 million in 2011,<ref name=jaindemographics/> 31.46% of Indian Jains), [[Jainism in Rajasthan|Rajasthan]] (13.97%), [[Jainism in Gujarat|Gujarat]] (13.02%) and [[Madhya Pradesh]] (12.74%). Significant Jain populations exist in [[Jainism in Karnataka|Karnataka]] (9.89%), [[Jainism in Uttar Pradesh|Uttar Pradesh]] (4.79%), [[Jainism in Delhi|Delhi]] (3.73%) and [[Tamil Jain|Tamil Nadu]] (2.01%).<ref name=jaindemographics>{{cite web |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/c-01.html |title=C-1 Population By Religious Community |publisher=[[Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner]], [[Ministry of Home Affairs]], [[Government of India]] |date=2011 |access-date=9 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913045700/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01.html |archive-date=13 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Outside India, Jain communities can be found in most areas hosting [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|large Indian populations]], such as [[Jainism in Europe|Europe]], the [[Jainism in the United Kingdom|United Kingdom]], the [[Jainism in the United States|United States]], [[Jainism in Canada|Canada]],{{sfn|Wiley|2009|p=43}} Australia and [[Jainism in Africa|Kenya]].{{sfn|Mugambi|2010|p=108}} Jainism also counts several non-Indian converts; for example, it is spreading rapidly in [[Jainism in Japan|Japan]], where more than 5,000 families have converted between 2010 and 2020.<ref>{{cite web |first=Hemali |last=Chhapia |url=https://m.timesofindia.com/india/thousands-of-japanese-making-a-smooth-transition-from-zen-to-jain/amp_articleshow/74262195.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223131538/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/thousands-of-japanese-making-a-smooth-transition-from-zen-to-jain/articleshow/74262195.cms |title=Thousands of Japanese making a smooth transition from Zen to Jain |date=23 February 2020 |archive-date=23 February 2020 |access-date=23 September 2021 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> According to the [[National Family Health Survey]] (NFHS-4) conducted in 2015–16, Jains form the wealthiest community in India.<ref>{{cite web |first=Roshan |last=Kishore |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-and-punjab-richest-states-jain-wealthiest-community-national-survey/story-sakdd3MBOfKhU2p5LrNVUM.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113035739/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-and-punjab-richest-states-jain-wealthiest-community-national-survey/story-sakdd3MBOfKhU2p5LrNVUM.html |title=Delhi and Punjab richest states, Jain wealthiest community: National survey |date=13 January 2018 |archive-date=13 January 2018 |access-date=23 September 2021 |website=[[Hindustan Times]] |url-status=live}}</ref> According to its 2011 census, they have the country's highest literacy rate (87%) among those aged seven and older, and the most college graduates;<ref>{{cite news |first=Bharti |last=Jain |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jains-have-highest-percentage-of-literates-Census-data/articleshow/53942863.cms |title=Jains have highest percentage of literates: Census 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=31 August 2016 |access-date=19 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129153443/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jains-have-highest-percentage-of-literates-Census-data/articleshow/53942863.cms |archive-date=29 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> excluding the retired, Jain literacy in India exceeded 97%. The female to male sex ratio among Jains is .940; among Indians in the 0–6 year age range the ratio was second lowest (870 girls per 1,000 boys), higher only than [[Sikhism|Sikhs]]. Jain males have the highest work participation rates in India, while Jain females have the lowest.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://censusindia.gov.in/Ad_Campaign/drop_in_articles/04-Distribution_by_Religion.pdf| title=Distribution of Population by Religions| publisher= [[Census of India]], [[Government of India]]| year=2011| access-date=19 May 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191803/http://censusindia.gov.in/Ad_Campaign/drop_in_articles/04-Distribution_by_Religion.pdf| archive-date=4 March 2016| url-status=live}}</ref> Jainism has been praised for some of its practices and beliefs. Greatly influenced by [[Shrimad Rajchandra]], the leader of the campaign for Indian independence, [[Mahatma Gandhi]] stated regarding Jainism:{{sfn|Rudolph|Rudolph|1984|p=171}} {{blockquote|No religion in the World has explained the principle of ''Ahiṃsā'' so deeply and systematically as is discussed with its applicability in every human life in Jainism. As and when the benevolent principle of ''Ahiṃsā'' or non-violence will be ascribed for practice by the people of the world to achieve their end of life in this world and beyond, Jainism is sure to have the uppermost status and Mahāvīra is sure to be respected as the greatest authority on ''Ahiṃsā''.{{sfn|Janardan Pandey|1998|p=50}}}} [[Acharya Chandana|Chandanaji]] became the first Jain woman to receive the title of [[Acharya]] in 1987.{{sfn|Miller|Long|Reading|2019|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=_9i_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 7, 10–]}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! 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