Jainism is explored by the author and explained as having a distinct place in Indian thought and culture.  She analyzes these distinctions in significant detail and shows how Jainism had sustained itself throughout its history and development and continues to support its practitioners to this day.

This volume is one in a series from research conducted at the Harvard University Center over a three year period to address the gap between religious beliefs and ecology.  The fact that they are inextricably related stems from the understanding that Jainism offers in relationship to the practice of nonviolence as it applies to our environment as well as how we treat each other.