Jainism and Buddhism were born to counter the grievous practices of shedding of animal and human blood to appease nature that were worshipped as deities by the invading Jewish Aryans. They brought these practices from the Middle east to India.

The Thamizh wise men called Sitthars who had attained Nirvana (Neer vannam – transparent state in their lives) became the Digambarars (transparently clothed by the natural four corners of the world only – samanars/ amanars) while those who could attain only the immediately next lower stage became the swethambarars (white clothed samanars / amanars). The statue of Bahubali / Gommateshwara in Shravanabelagola of South India stands tall (tall!) as an example to the former and the Jain gurus of today stand a proof to the latter. They advocated a life of non-violence to any man or animal. These became the Jains who have little or no belief in a personal god with just one exception – Ganesh – the elephant headed god. They also worshipped their forefathers who had attained nirvana – the Thiruthankarars. Vardhamana Mahaveera (great man of courage / warrior of the present age) stood for the cause of non-violence and is considered the twenty fifth Thiruthankarar. The naked bodies of the dead Jains (sometimes living old people, and most of the time as per their wish) are left in the open and lying naked (nirvana) as food for the birds of prey. Others are assumed to have attained Samadhi (dead in their seated or lying position) whose bodies are embalmed and worshipped from then on.

Siddhartha was a Sakya prince of Nepal (descended from the Jewish Aryans) who was brought up in a very luxurious environment with no sight of pain, sickness, old-age related ailments and death. When he encountered these realities, he set out to find a path that would lead to eternal life. He seems to have been enlightened under a Bodhi (buddhi / knowledge) tree in Gaya in India) about an eight-fold path to life that took man through unending rebirths into various other life forms. This wise Buddha (an enlightened (butthi in Thamizh) Old man (later, “budda” in Sanskrit)) also took the path of non-violence and tried to bring about an end to animal sacrifices. His followers, the Buddhists, were atheists in the early days of Buddhism but later the Mahayana (Maha – greater / superior; yan – vehicle) Buddhists started worshipping the very Buddha as god in contrast to their Hinayana (Hina – lower (eenam in Thamizh)/ sub-standard) forefathers.