Indian Philosophy and Aesthetics

Lord Mahavir was the twenty-fourth and the last Tirthankara in Jainism. At the age of 30, he left his family and royal household, gave up his worldly possessions, including clothing and become a monk.

The Avesta (the sacred text of Zoroastrianism) shares significant linguistic and thematic similarities with the Vedas of ancient India, as both originate from common Indo-Iranian roots.

In Sikh theology, Nirgun refers to the formless, absolute aspect of God, while Sagun refers to the manifest, immanent aspect of God in creation.

The Mul Mantar (Ek Onkar...) is the opening verse of the Guru Granth Sahib and serves as the fundamental definition of the nature of God in Sikhism.

Guru Nanak came to the world with a message of peace, unity, love. He preached the oneness of God. According to him, God is one, and all human beings are equal in the sight of God.

Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikhism and the first of the Sikh Gurus. Hukam is also important as a basic concept in Sikhi; the adherents of this faith believe in the "Hukam of the Lord" - The Will of the Almighty Lord. It believes there is only One God.

After gaining spiritual enlightenment, Guru Nanak Dev Ji began his travel to the world, which is recorded as Udasis. .The primary source of the description of these Udasis is Janamsakhis.

Guru Nanak's teachings were characterized by their simplicity, use of the common language (Punjabi/vernacular), and focus on practical, ethical living and devotion to the One God.

The janapadas called 'Ashmak' occupied a part of today's Maharashtra. The names of these janapadas can be found in Sanskrit, Pali and Arshamagadhi literature. One can also find information about them in the writing of Greek historians.

References to the Janapadas and Mahajanapadas are found across various ancient Indian texts, including Vedic literature, Buddhist canons (like the Anguttara Nikaya), and Jaina texts (like the Bhagavati Sutra).

According to Gautama Buddha, sorrow is caused by excessive craving and desire. We can attain freedom from sorrow if we control our desires. In order  to gain control over our desires, we need to live a balanced and controlled life, and should not cause pain to any living being. Buddha taught that one should avoid extremes -extreme penance or extreme pleasure, but instead follow a middle path. That is why Buddhism is also called the Great Middle Path.

The teachings of Buddha came to be known as Buddhism. The teachings of Buddha and his followers have been compiled in three collections (Thripitikas) called the Sutta Pitaka, the Abhidhamma Pitaka and Vinaya Pitaka. Tripitaka or Three Baskets is a traditional term used for various Buddhist scriptures. It is also known as Pali Canon in English. 

Gautama Buddha found that people everywhere were miserable and in conflict with each other. He began to think, how can we get rid of this misery? Gautama also left his family and home in search of answers to such questions. He became a Parivrajaka, and after years of penance and meditation arrived at some answers to these questions. The teachings of Buddha came to be known as Buddhism.

The Quran is considered the central religious text of Islam, believed to be the word of God as revealed to Prophet Muhammad.