Jainism is one of the world's oldest religions whose roots go back to times before recorded history. Those who follow Jainism are known as Ajainaor the followers of Jinas, from whom the teachings of this religion have been derived. Jainism's teachers of old whose wisdom and spiritual evolution are most revered are known as tirthankaras or "builders of the ford." The teachings of the these builders ultimately lead humans across the the endless cycle of rebirth to spiritual release. Metaphorically, this endless cycle is compared to a river that only those enlightened by the teachings of the tirthankaras may hope to cross. In Jain philosophy, time consists of infinite millennia that come and go in cycles of several million years. In our current cycle, twenty-four tirthankaras have appeared and Mahavira the 24th, tirthankara has been the last to appear. Like all preceding tirthankaras Mahavira, whose name means "the most courageous one," was an actual historical figure who lived some time between 599-527 BCE. Mahavira was a contemporary of another great spiritual teacher -- Gautama Sakyamuni--who would come to be known in history as Buddha. According to most accounts, Mahavira was also a high-born member of a warrior caste who renounced the world when he was thirty to pursue a life as an ascetic. His moment of enlightenment came after twelve years of spiritual pursuit. He then gathered twelve disciples around him, and it is through these disciples that his teachings were eventually documented and disseminated. Sources: http://www.xploreheartlinks.com/jainism.htm