The A to Z of Jainism

by Kristi L. Wiley

It is a unique reference book about a religion with an unbroken history of more than 2,500 years, and one which has influenced India's culture throughout this period. At the core of Jainism's teachings is non-violence, which Mahatma Gandhi brought to world consciousness by adopting it as the guiding principle in the campaign he led for India's freedom. In Jainism, non-violence extends equally to man's relationship with all natural life, a sensitivity being articulated anew in contemporary times by a concern for the environment and animal rights, etc.

This book covers all important touchstones of Jainism in more than 450 crisp alphabetical entries. A detailed introduction provides a holistic overview of Jainism; and a chronology highlights important Jain milestones. An extensive, subject-wise bibliography guides interested readers to in-depth resources on various topics.

Table of Contents:

• Editor's Foreword/Jon Woronoff
• Preface
• Reader's Notes
• The Jain Scriptures
• Map of Major Jain Sites in India
• Chronology
• Introduction
• The Dictionary.

About the Author:

Kristi L. Wiley (B.S., Santa Clara University; M.A. and Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley) is a visiting lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley. She teaches courses on Indian religions and religion and ecology. Her area of specialization in Jainism is karma theory. She has published articles in Approaches to Jaina Studies (ed. N. K. Wagle and Olle Qvarnstrom), Doctrines and Dialogues (ed. Peter Flugel), Essays in Jaina Philosophy and Religion (ed. Piotr Balcerowicz), Jainism and Early Buddhism (ed. Olle Qvarnstrom), Jainism and Ecology (ed. Christopher Key Chapple), and Philosophy East and West. She is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the American Oriental Society.