Ranked #92 in Jainism
Jainism arose as a systematic response to human and animal violence by positing a radical alternative-the path of ahimsa or non-violence. Their argument is a simple but profound one. If we can lessen the pain and suffering of those around us why not choose that option instead of needlessly perpetuating the never-ending cycle of violent retribution. Jainism raises a most pregnant question for all of us: how big is our circle of compassion? Can we extend its circumference beyond our selves and ken to include other human beings not of our tribe and even further to include animals and other... more