Estimate from Pew Research Center — The Future of World Religions↗ (opens in a new tab).
Overview
The only extant teaching is that of Mahāvīra, the last Jina of the current cosmic period, whose traditional dates are 599–527/510 BCE in Magadha, south of modern Bihar.1 Jaina ethics consists of practices focused on non-violence, non-absolutism and non-attachment, which aim to disentangle the self from karmic matter and which help one to reach omniscience.2
History and origins
The path came to involve structured monastic and lay communities, sets of ritual, devotional and ascetic practices and rules of life, and conceptions of the world deposited in canonical and post-canonical corpuses, in systematic treatises and in narrative literature.3 The methods a disciple needs are described at length in the Later Chapters, the Uttarādhyayana, dated to between the second century BCE and the first century CE.4
What is taught
Jaina teaching aims first to promote a type of behaviour: a method of concretely modifying an unsatisfying situation not by modifying one’s environment, but by modifying oneself.5 To achieve it, adherents are meant to progress within a spiritual path by means of an internal sacrifice based on ascetic practices of renunciation.6 The resulting understanding of non-violence is far-reaching: restrained action comes very close to the mere absence of act, since even breathing, drinking water or walking can prove harmful.7
References
- “The only extant teaching is that of Mahāvīra (traditional dates 599–527/510 BCE, in Magadha, South of modern Bihar), the last Jina of the current cosmic period.” — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Jaina Philosophy, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “Jaina ethics consists of practices focused on non-violence, non-absolutism and non-attachment, which aim to disentangle the self and karmic matter and which help one to reach omniscience.” — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Jaina Philosophy, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “This path came to involve structured monastic and lay communities; sets of practices—ritual and devotional acts, ascetic practices, rules of life; as well as conceptions of the world deposited in canonical and post-canonical corpuses, in systematic treatises, or in narrative literature.” — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Jaina Philosophy, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “the disciple needs methods to assist her, as described in length notably in the Later Chapters” — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Jaina Philosophy, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “Jaina teaching firstly aims to promote a type of behavior, a method to concretely modify an unsatisfying situation, not by modifying one’s environment, but by modifying oneself.” — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Jaina Philosophy, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “they are meant to progress within a spiritual path thanks to an internal sacrifice based on ascetic practices of renunciation” — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Jaina Philosophy, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “one’s restrained action is very close to one’s mere absence of act, since even breathing, drinking water, or walking can prove harmful” — Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Jaina Philosophy, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
Individual sourced statements
Statements recorded one at a time, each shown with the words it rests on. They sit alongside the account above rather than beneath it.
Jain Vishva Bharati describes Acharya Bhikshu as the founder and first spiritual head of the Svetambara Terapanth tradition.
“Founder and first spiritual head of the Svetambar Terapanth sect of Jainism.”
JAINA describes itself as an umbrella organisation of 72 Jain centres representing 200,000 members in the USA and Canada.
“an umbrella organization of 72 Jain Centers representing 200,000 members in USA and Canada”
JAINA states that its mission is to preserve, practice, and promote Jain Dharma and Jain Way of Life.
“with a mission to preserve, practice, and promote Jain Dharma and Jain Way of Life”
JAINA states that it was founded in 1981 and formalized in 1983.
“It was founded in 1981 and formalized in 1983.”
JAINA states that it conducts its programs and initiatives through 45 committees.
“conducts its various programs and initiatives through 45 committees”
JAINA states that it is the largest organisation of Jains outside India.
“JAINA is the largest organization of Jains outside India”
Pew Research Center published a report titled "The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050".
“The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050”
Jain Vishva Bharati describes Acharya Tulsi as the ninth supreme head and founder of Jain Vishva Bharati.
“Nineth supreme Head and Founder of Jain Vishva Bharati”
Jain Vishva Bharati describes Acharya Mahapragya as the tenth supreme head and founder of the Preksha Meditation System.
“Tenth Supreme Head and Founder of Preksha Meditation System”
Jain Vishva Bharati describes Acharya Mahashraman as the institutional head of the organisation as current Acharya of Jain Terapanth.
“Institutional head of organization as current Acharya of Jain Terapanth sect.”
Jain Vishva Bharati states that it has a constitutional provision of 'Anushasta', the institutional head of the organisation as current Acharya of Jain Terapanth.
“Jain Vishva Bharati has constitutional provision of ‘Anushasta’, the institutional head of organization as current Acharya of Jain Terapanth sect.”
Jain Vishva Bharati states that Acharya Mahashramanji is the current Anushasta of Jain Vishva Bharati.
“Acharya Mahashramanji is current Anushasta of Jain Vishva Bharati”
Jain Vishva Bharati states that the post of Acharya was conferred by Acharya Bhikshu, the founder of Jain Terapanth, to his successor, and passed thereafter to each current Acharya duly appointed by his previous Acharya.
“The post Acharya being conferred upon by Jain Terapanth sect founder Acharya Bhikshu to his successor and then from successor to the current Acharya duly appointed by his previous Acharya.”
Every quotation above was checked against its source on 5 September 2026.
Authority
Jainism has no central authority.
Traditions
How these dates are worked out
This is the part that decides whether a date in your rota is right. Every observance below is computed from a published rule rather than copied from anyone’s list, and the rule is what explains why a date moves, why two calendars can disagree, and how far ahead you can safely plan.
The pañcāṅga
- What sets the date
- The date is found from the positions of the sun and moon rather than from a table. The key quantity is the tithi, a lunar day defined by the moon gaining twelve degrees of elongation on the sun, so its length varies between roughly nineteen and twenty-six hours.
- Why it falls where it does
- Because a tithi is not a solar day, it can begin and end at any hour, and a festival attached to one may touch two Gregorian dates or none. Which date is kept then depends on a rule about the time of day the tithi has to be current: sunrise for some observances, midday, evening or midnight for others. Two calendars can therefore disagree by a day while both applying their rules correctly. Regional practice differs too, and a month may be reckoned as ending at the new moon or at the full moon depending on where you are.
- What that means for planning
- Expect a day of variation between regions and between calendars, and expect the observance to move by several weeks against the Gregorian calendar from one year to the next.
Observances in 2026
Sources
No expert review. Accuracy here rests on continuous machine verification of every quotation against its source. Spotted an error? Corrections are answered within five working days.