Do Jains believe in a heaven and hell?
Jains believes that the universe (lokakas) has an upper world (heaven), a middle world (where humans live), and a lower world (hell).
The upper world has up to 16 devloks (layers) of heaven. It is also home to souls that have freed themselves from the cycle of birth and death.
The middle world is where humans, animals and plants live. It is bigger than we can understand, because it stretches far beyond all known galaxies.
The lower world is what Christians call hell. There are 7 layers of hell, each layer is more awful than the last.
Is it true that Jains had a positive effect on Mahatma Gandhi?
Jainsim has often had a positive effect on Indian society. Gandhi also claimed to have been deeply affected by the Jainism way of thinking. For example he learnt a lot from the revered Jain layman Raychandbhai Mehta and his teachings on ahimsa – or non-violence.
What is Jainism’s holy book?
Jainism’s holy book – or Bible – is a collection of writing called agam. Lord Mahavir’s teachings were made into many books (called sutras) by his followers. These books are called the Jain canon, or agam literature.
Were Mahavir and Buddha really living at the same time as each other?
Mahavir and Buddha did live in the same time. They also lived in the same area of India – the modern-day state of Bihar.
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