Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t8.1

v1.c7.s7.t8.1

As one of the three major unorthodox schools of thought in ancient India, Jainism can trace its theoretical roots back into time immemorial. However, Jainism as an independent and full-fledged religion did not emerge until around 6^th century CE. Being popular throughout the entire Indian history, Jainism remains an influential religion in the country to this day. It spread to China along with Buddhism, where it attracted a huge amount of attention in the philosophical sphere of ancient China.