• Vardhamana Mahavira was the most famous thinker of the Jainas who spread his message around 2500 years ago. He was a Kshatriya prince of the Lichchhavis, a group that was a part of the Vajji sangha.
• At the age of thirty, he left home and went to live in a forest. He led a hard and lonely life for around 12 years, at the end of which he attained enlightenment.
• He taught a simple doctrine: men and women who wish to know the truth must leave their homes. They must follow very strictly the rules of ahimsa, which means not hurting or killing living beings.
“All beings,” said Mahavira “long to live. To all things life is dear.”
Ordinary people could understand the teachings of Mahavira and his followers, because they used Prakrit. There were several form of Prakrit, used in different part of the country, and named after the regions in which they were used.