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Vardhamana Mahavira, born in India around 540 BCE, took up a wandering ascetic life. Having
achieved omniscience after years of suffering, he began to teach others and organized followers into groups of
monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen. There is an eternal pattern of rise and fall in the universe and each age
has twenty four teachers who help people escape the cycle of reincarnation. Jain temples have a seated image
of a particular teacher. Worship of the image is to happen every day, usually in the morning. The five basic
principles are: avoid doing harm, truthfulness, no stealing, chastity, and detachment from material things.
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