49%
Confidence
Belief overview
Tirthankaras as liberated masters
Tirthankaras are victorious masters who rediscover and teach the path.
1
Supportive
0
Contrary
1
Neutral
What it is: Tirthankaras are fully realized beings who rediscover the path of liberation and establish a crossing for other beings.
How the tradition understands it: They are not creators of the universe, but masters liberated of supreme authority. Mahavira is the twenty-fourth tirthankara of the current era according to the Jain tradition.
Textual basis and context: Jain narratives, images, and rituals revolve strongly around these masters, especially Mahavira, Parshvanatha, and other venerated tirthankaras.
Debates and variations: There are differences of devotional and textual emphasis between currents, but the centrality of the tirthankaras is common.
Documentary evidence
Supportive
Kalpa Sutra
An important text on Mahavira and the lineage of the tirthankaras.
Reference: Kalpa Sutra.
Content: The text recounts aspects of the life of Mahavira and other tirthankaras, in addition to monastic rules in certain contexts.
Use in debate: It is a central source for Jain religious memory and devotion.
Neutral
Uttaradhyayana Sutra 10
Passages on soul, discipline, and liberation.
Reference: Uttaradhyayana Sutra, chapter 10 and its context.
Content: The text relates self-knowledge, discipline, and spiritual purpose.
Use in debate: It supports the doctrine of the soul and ethical practice.