The A to Z of Jainism

Book excerpt: This book provides information on the two main sectarian traditions of Jainism, the Śvetāmbaras and Digambaras, from their early history to the present. It also includes information on various reform movements withing these two traditions. The dictionary section contains more than 450 individual entries with technical terms, mendicant lineages, mendicant and lay practices and vows, biographies of influential mendicant leaders and scholars in the mendicant and lay communities, as well as entries on various Tīrthaṅkaras, ancillary deities, and pilgrimage sites. This comprehensive dictionary will be a valuable reference for anyone interested in South Asian religions or the study of nonviolence and conflict resolution. --from back cover.