Jainism

Feature ISKCON (Achintya Bheda Abheda) Advaita Vedanta Jainism Relationship with God The soul is simultaneously one with and different from God (Krishna), existing as a minute part of the Supreme Soul. The individual self (jiva) is ultimately non-different from the singular, universal Brahman. The soul is fundamentally and eternally separate from all other souls and from any supreme personal creator God. Individuality Individuality and personality are eternal and retained even after liberation. Individuality is a result of illusion (maya); it merges into the impersonal Brahman upon liberation. Individuality and a distinct personal identity are eternally preserved, even in the state of liberation. Ultimate Goal (Moksha) To attain liberation through eternal, loving devotional service (bhakti) to the personal form of Krishna. To achieve self-realization by realizing one's absolute identity with the impersonal Brahman. To achieve liberation by purifying the soul of all karma and attain...

One hypothesis I have is as follows: Hinduism is a sect of Jainism, Jainism is most ancient religion in India. Jainism places a central emphasis on ahimsa (non-violence) as a fundamental vow. However, all vows across different Yugas were difficult for laypeople to uphold. This raises the question: where should laypeople draw the line? Hinduism addresses this dilemma, and the Bhagavad Gita provides clarity for the common person, explaining that it is sometimes acceptable to kill when there is excessive adharma (unrighteousness). Hindu mythology frequently depicts the gods killing the asuras —beings who, although they performed all rituals correctly, were corrupted by excessive desires such as ego, greed, lust, and violence. On the material plane (Bhu-loka), Narayana (or the gods) are shown destroying these asuras , similar to their actions in other realms like Swarga , Vaikuntha , Kailasa , and so on. The act of killing in these stories is symbolic. The asuras represent spiri...

Chapter 6.4 of Acharya Hemachandra's  Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra  (Lives of Sixty-Three Great Men), titled  Subhūma-cakravartin-caritra , narrates the life story and rise to power of Subhūma, the eighth universal monarch ( cakravartin ) in the Jain tradition. The chapter's central theme is a narrative of revenge against Parshuram, which differs significantly from the well-known Hindu Puranic accounts. Summary of the Chapter The  Subhūma-cakravartin-caritra  details the dramatic conflict between the Brahmin warrior-sage Parshuram and the Kshatriya prince Subhūma, a story that establishes Subhūma as a  cakravartin . [ 1 ] The Context of Conflict:  The story begins with Parshuram killing King Sahasrarjun (Subhūma's father), who is generally identified with the Haihaya king Kārtavīrya Arjuna. [ 1 ] Subhūma's Birth and Upbringing:  The pregnant queen of Sahasrarjun successfully flees the capital and takes shelter in a sage's  ashram . She eventually gives birth to a son...

Hindu sects:

In Jainism, omniscience (Kevala Jnana) is indeed attained prior to full moksha (liberation). It marks the destruction of all ghati karmas (knowledge-obscuring, etc.), allowing infinite knowledge, but the soul remains embodied until the exhaustion of aghati karmas, after which moksha occurs. This happens across the final Gunasthanas (spiritual stages), specifically from the end of stage 12 into stages 13 and 14. Below, I'll explain the mapping of these stages to the Pancha Parameshthi categories (the five supreme beings worthy of veneration: Arihant, Siddha, Acharya, Upadhyaya, and Sadhu), based on how the Gunasthanas reflect levels of spiritual purity and roles. Then, I'll address the sermon aspect. ### Mapping Gunasthanas to Pancha Parameshthi Categories The 14 Gunasthanas are progressive stages of the soul's purification from karmic bondage, starting from delusion and ending in liberation. They don't map one-to-one with the Pancha Parameshthi, as the latter are hierar...