Jainism

Jains do not believe in a creator deity that could be responsible for the manifestation, creation, or maintenance of this universe. The universe is self regulated by the laws of nature.
Jains believe that life exists in various forms in different parts of the universe including earth. All living organisms have soul and therefore, need to be interacted with, without causing much harm.

According to Jain philosophy, Lokakash refers to space, Devloka refers to the abode of demi-gods and heavenly beings, Siddhashila refers to the abode of liberated beings and Aloka refers to the space outside the universe.

Karma in Jainism conveys a totally different meaning than commonly understood in the Hindu philosophy and western civilization. It is not the so called inaccessible force that controls the fate of living beings in inexplicable ways. It does not simply mean "deed", "work", nor mystical force (adrsta), but a complex of very fine matter, imperceptible to the senses, which interacts with the soul in intensity and quantity proportional to the thoughts, speech and physical actions carried out with attachments and aversions, causing further bondages. Karma in Jainism is something material (karmapaudgalam), which produces certain conditions, like a medical pill has many effects. The effect of karma in Jainism is therefore a system of natural laws rather than moral laws.

Jains believe that to attain enlightenment and ultimately liberation from all karmic bonding, one must practice the following ethical principles not only in thought, but also in words (speech) and action. Such a practice through lifelong work towards oneself is called observing the Mahavrata ("Great Vows"). These vows are:
Ahimsa (Non-violence): To cause "no harm" to living beings
Satya (Truthfulness): To always speak truth such that no harm is caused to others
Asteya (Non-stealing): Not to take into possession anything that is not willingly offered
Brahmacharya (Celibacy): To exercise control over senses (including mind) from indulgence
Aparigraha (Non-possession, non-materialism): To observe detachment from people, places and material things

James Prinsep (20 August 1799 - 22 April 1840) was an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary. He was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India.

Tirthankaras are not regarded as deities in the pantheistic or polytheistic sense, but rather as pure souls that have awakened the divine spiritual qualities that lie dormant within each of us.
Apart from the Tirthankaras, Jains worship special Arihants, such as Bahubali. A statue of Bahubali is located at Shravana Belagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka state. It is a sacred place of pilgrimage for Jains.

Outside India, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda) have large Jain communities. The first Jain temple to be built outside India was constructed and consecrated in the 1960s in Mombassa, Kenya.

Jains practice strict vegetarianism. According to Jainism, the practice of vegetarianism is instrumental for the practice of non-violence and peaceful co-operative co-existence.

Jainism acknowledges that it is impossible to discharge one's duties and meet demands and expectations of one's life without some degree of himsa/violence, but encourages minimising as much as possible.

Rishabha (also known as Adinath) was the first Tirthankara of the Jains.
The last Tirthankara, Mahavira, lived from 599 to 527 BCE.

Jainism encourages spiritual development through cultivation of one's own personal wisdom and reliance on self-control through vows. The triple gems of Jainism - right vision or view (Samyak Darshana), right knowledge (Samyak Gyana) and right conduct (Samyak Charitra) - provide the path for attaining liberation from the cycles of birth and death.