Hinduism, Buddhism, And Jainism Hinduism is among the world's oldest faiths, and is regarded as a total way of life, or dharma, which evolved by the great sages and seers of ancient India (Hinduism pp). With traditions dating back before recorded history, the early phase of the Verdic tradition in India is generally dated between 10,000 -- 7,000 BCE. (Hinduism pp). However, in spite of the fact that Hinduism evolved more than 5,000 years ago, it is also very much a living tradition, and thus, Hindus are certainly one of the most intensely religious people in the world (Hinduism pp). India has been a veritable laboratory of religion for thousands of years, with numerous sects emerging, however, the country remains predominantly Hindu (Hinduism pp).

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that was founded in India around 525 B.C, by Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha (Buddhism pp). One of the world's great religions, it is divided into two main schools, the Theravada or Hinayana in Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia, and the Mahayana in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan, while a third school, the Vajrayana, has a long tradition in Tibet and Japan (Buddhism pp). Although Buddhism originated in India, it has for the most part disappeared from that country except among refugees from the Tibet region of China...

As protests against the overdeveloped ritualism of Hinduism, especially its sacrificial cults and the authority of the Veda (Jainism pp). Its tradition teaches that Jainism originated from a succession of twenty-four saints, or tirthankaras, the last being Vardhamana, called Mahavira (the great hero) and Jina (the victor), seems to be historical (Jainism pp). He preached a rigid asceticism and solicitude for all life as a means of escaping the cycle of rebirth or the transmigration of souls, therefore, the total consequences of past acts, the soul attains nirvana, and thus, salvation (Jainism pp). Mahavira founded a brotherhood of monks who took vows of celibacy, nudity, self-mortification, and fasting, however, during the 1st century A.D., a schism developed over the issue of nudity, resulting in the Digambaras, naked Jains, and the Svetambaras, clothed Jains (Jainism pp). Jainists accumulate merit through charity, good works, and in occasional monastic retreat (Jainism pp).
The philosophical schools of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism share a general set of beliefs regarding the interrelated notions of karma,…