However Jainism does believe in God, not as a creator, but as a perfect being. When a person destroys all his karmas, he becomes a liberated soul. He lives in a perfect blissful state in Moksha forever. The liberated soul possesses infinite knowledge, infinite vision, infinite power, and infinite bliss. This living being is a God of Jain religion.

Every living being has a potential to become God. Hence Jains do not have one God, but Jain Gods are innumerable and their number is continuously increasing as more living beings attain liberation.

Jains believe that since the beginning of the time every living being (soul) is attached with karma and also it is in delusion (ignorant) state of its true nature. The main purpose of the religion is to remove this delusion through self-knowledge and self-effort. This knowledge will remove karma which are associated with it from the beginning of time. When all karma get removed, the soul becomes liberated soul.

There are many types of karma. However they are broadly classified into the following eight categories:

• Mohniya karma: It generates delusion in the soul in regard to its own true nature, and makes it identify itself with other external substances.
• Jnana varaniya karma: It covers the soul's power of perfect knowledge.
• Darasna varaniya karma: It covers the soul's power of perfect visions.
• Antaraya karma: It obstructs the natural quality or energy of the soul such as charity and will power. This prevents the soul from attaining liberation. It also prevents a living being from doing something good and enjoyable.
• Vedniya karma: It obscures the blissful nature of the soul, and thereby produces pleasure and pain.
• Nama karma: It obscures the non corporeal existence of the soul, and produces the body with its limitations, qualities, faculties, etc.
• Gotra karma: It obscures the soul's characteristics of equanimity, and determines the family, social standing, and personality.
• Ayu karma: It determines the span of life in one birth, thus obscuring soul's nature of eternal existence.

The first four karmas are called Ghati karmas because they obscure the natural qualities of the soul. The last four karmas are known as Aghati karmas because they do not affect the qualities of the soul, but they are associated to the physical body of the soul. Once a person destroys all his Ghati karmas, he will definitely destroy all of his Aghati karmas before his death. No fall back can occur after the destruction of Ghati karmas.

Arihant:

When a person destroys his four Ghati karmas, he attains keval jnana. He has regained the original attributes of his soul, which are perfect knowledge, vision, power, and bliss. He is omniscient of the past, present and future forms of all entities (living and nonliving beings) of the universe. He is still a human being. He remains in the state of blissful condition for the rest of his life. Arihants are classified into two categories:

Tirthankar:

Immediately after attaining keval jnana, if a person establishes the four fold religious order of monks, nuns, sravaks (male householder), and sravikas (female householder) is known as Tirthankar. He preaches the Jain philosophy, religion, ethics, conducts to his followers.

In the religious scriptures, the name Arihantas and Tirthankaras are interchangeably used because simple kevalis do not play any active roles in the religious order. Tirthankar is also known as Jina, Arihant, Arhat, Arhant, or Nirgrantha.

• Tirthankara: Founder of four-fold order of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.
• Jina: One who has conquered his, inner passions such as desire and hatred.
• Arihant: One who has destroyed his inner enemies such as greed, anger, desire, and hatred.
• Arhat: One to whom nothing can be secret.
• Arhant: A spiritual acquirement leading a man to the state of an Arihant.
• Nirgrantha: A religion of One who has gotten rid of all knots or attachments.

Both Tirthankars and Simple kevalis (all Arihants) become Siddha after nirvan (death). All Siddhas are equal in qualities.

Siddha:

Both the Tirthankaras and simple kevalis (all Arihants) destroy the remaining four Aghati karmas at the end of their present life. After their nirvan (death) all of them are known as Siddhas. They are totally free and liberated. They are free from the birth and death cycle. They do not possess body. They do not feel pleasure and pain, or joy and sorrow. They live as a pure soul in an ever-lasting blissful condition at the top of the universe (Lokakas) known as Moksha.

The quality and attributes of all Siddhas are same. However, they still maintain their unique identity and form.

The Four Fold Order:

• Monks and Nuns (ascetics): They practice self control and have given up all desires and earthly possessions become the spiritual practicer and teachers. They follow strictly five great vows (maha vrats).
• Sravaks and Sravikas (lay people): They are not required to renounce the world, but are expected to discharge household duties by honest means and live a progressive pure life. They follow the twelve vows of lay people.