What is Jainism and what are teaching of this religion

Jainism is a very old religion from India. It started more than 2000 years ago. Many people in India still follow Jainism today. Jainism teaches that the best way to be happy is to be kind and peaceful to all living things, like plants and animals.

Jainism is similar to Hinduism and Buddhism in some ways. Jains believe that people are born again and again until they become free from karma. Karma is the result of what we do, say, and think. If we hurt living things, we get bad karma. If we help living things, we get good karma. Jains want to avoid bad karma, so they practice ahimsa, which means not hurting anyone or anything. Jains think that everything has a soul, even air and water. So they try not to harm anything in nature. Jains are very careful about what they eat. They only eat plants that grow above the ground, like fruits and leaves. They don't eat plants that grow below the ground, like potatoes and carrots, because that would kill the whole plant. Jains also don't kill any bugs or insects. The most devoted Jains don't even brush away a mosquito or sweep the floor, because they might hurt an ant.
Jains also follow four other rules:

Satya they always tell the truth
Asteya they don't steal.
Brahmacharya Jains often practice celibacy or limit sexual activity as a means of reducing attachment to worldly desires and relationships. However, the degree to which this is observed can vary among individuals and within different Jain sects.
Aparigraha they don't care about money or things. This means they aim to minimize their attachment to money and material wealth.

Jainism is different from Hinduism and Buddhism in some ways. Jains have their own teachers and leaders. They respect 24 Jinas, or Tirthankaras, who were people who became free from karma and showed others how to do it too. The last and most famous Jina was Mahavira, who was born around 600 B.C.E. He was a prince, but he gave up everything to become a monk. He fasted and meditated for more than 12 years until he became enlightened. He was called Mahavira, which means "Great Hero". He taught many people about Jainism and had many followers: 14,000 monks and 36,000 nuns when he died.

Nowadays, there are millions of Jains in India and around the world. Jainism has inspired many people with its message of nonviolence. One of them was Mahatma Gandhi, who was a Hindu but admired the Jains. He used nonviolence to fight for India's freedom from Britain.