List of Figures x
Foreword xii
Acknowledgments xiv
Prologue 1
1 The Jina 6
The Jina Mahāvı̄ra 8
The Legend of Mahāvı̄ra 11
The Predecessors of Mahāvı̄ra 17
Pārśva 19
Ariṣṭanemi 20
Ṛṣabha 21
2 Development and Growth of Jainism 24
Beginnings 25
Antiquity (ca. 500 BCE to 500 CE) 26
Medieval Period (ca. 500 CE to 1500 CE) 30
Modern Times (ca. 1500 CE to 1800 CE) 33
Colonial Period and Present (since ca. 1800 CE) 35
History of Academic Research 37
3 Literature and Tradition 41
Canonical Literature 43
The Books of the Canon 44
Twelve ‘Limbs’ (aṅga) 44
Twelve ‘Secondary Limbs’ (upāṅga) 46
Chedasūtras 47
Mūlasūtras 47
Prakı̄rṇakasūtras 48
Cūlikasūtras 49
Post-Canonical and Modern Literature 49
4 Understanding the World, Ethics, and Philosophy 54
Cosmology 55
Time and Time Eras 56
World and Universe 58
Cosmos 58
World 63
Development and Transmission of Jain Cosmology 65
Basic Ethical Principles of Jainism 74
Conception of the Soul 77
The Soul in the Cycles of Birth 78
Embodiment and States of the Soul 80
Living Beings 81
Body 82
Colors of the Soul 83
Function and Effect of Karma 84
Steps to Liberation 86
5 Religious Practice 93
The Jain Community 93
Religious Practice of Ascetics 95
Religious Practice of the Laity 98
Ceremonies of Worship 101
Jain Deities 103
Temples and Ascetic Lodgings 105
Religious Festivals 108
Pilgrimage 112
6 Art and Symbolism 116
The Representation of the Jina 117
Bronze Altars 120
Jain Painting and Book Art 123
Wall and Ceiling Painting 123
Painted Book Covers 124
Palm Leaf Manuscripts 125
Paper Manuscripts 126
Jain Symbols 127
Eight Auspicious Symbols (aṣṭamaṅgala) 127
Sacred Syllables 129
Epilogue 132
Glossary 135
Index 140
Biography
Patrick Felix Krüger studied South Asian Art and Archaeology, History of East Asian Art at Free University of Berlin and South Asian History at Humboldt University of Berlin. Since 2016, he has been Research Associate at the Center for Religious Studies (CERES), Research Section for Jainism of Ruhr-University Bochum.
Translators:
Marion Frenger is an independent researcher and art historian specializing in the arts of South and Southeast Asia. She has published on both pre-modern and contemporary South Asian art and co-edited Von Gibraltar bis zum Ganges. Studien zur Islamischen Kunstgeschichte in memoriam Christian Ewert (2010).
Christopher Jain Miller is Professor of Jain and Yoga Studies and VP of Academic Affairs at Arihanta Institute, Visiting Researcher at the University of Zürich’s Asien-Orient-Institut, and Visiting Professor at Claremont School of Theology. He is the author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation (Routledge 2024) and the co-editor of Engaged Jainism: Critical and Constructive Studies of Jain Social Engagement (SUNY 2025) as well as Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age (Lexington 2020).
Patrick Krüger’s Jainism: An Indian Religion of Nonviolence offers an accessible scholarly introduction to the Jain tradition. Drawing on his background in German Indology, Krüger explains the history, scriptures, and development of Jainism, raising thought-provoking questions for scholars and general readers alike about the teachings of a nonviolent religious tradition that remains perennially relevant.
Christopher Jain Miller, Arihanta Institute, author of Embodying Transnational Yoga: Eating, Singing, and Breathing in Transformation
Patrick Krüger’s Jainism: An Indian Religion of Nonviolence offers a meticulously researched and thematically comprehensive introduction to the Jain tradition. Grounded in the philological approach of German Indology, the volume presents both historical nuance and textual insight, while remaining accessible to a broad readership. It is a welcome and timely contribution to the growing field of Jain Studies and will serve as a valuable resource for scholars, educators, and students alike.
Venu Mehta, Claremont School of Theology, USA
This is a highly informative and well-organized introduction to the Jain tradition. Its translation into English will be a boon both to students and to anyone who is interested in learning more about this fascinating tradition and its important and ever-relevant message of nonviolence. Covering topics ranging from history to literature to ascetic practice, it is a treasure trove of useful information for anyone who wants to learn more about how Jain traditions have been lived from the ancient past to the present day.
Jeffery D. Long, Carl W. Zeigler Professor of Religion, Philosophy, and Asian Studies, Elizabethtown College, USA
