I have a question for you, in Jainism, how many gods does this religion believe in? If you say ''many'', then let me ask you this: how many spirits or ''souls'' does Jainism believe exist in the universe? If your answer is still ''many'', then let me ask

In Jainism, your question becomes clear once we separate a few ideas:

1. How many “gods” in Jainism?

- Jainism does not believe in one creator God who made and controls the universe. - It accepts countless devas (heavenly beings) and countless liberated souls (Siddhas) who are sometimes loosely called “gods” in English. - So, if by “gods” you mean powerful or worship‑worthy beings: there are infinitely many.

1. How many souls (jīvas) exist in the universe?

- Jainism clearly says: jīvas are infinite in number. - Each soul is an eternal, individual substance. - Souls never merge into one; they always remain distinct individuals, even after liberation.

1. Where does “one and only one God” come from?

This is actually not Jain doctrine in the way it is in some other religions.

In Jainism:

- There is no single supreme creator who is the only God. - Instead, there is a class (samudāy) of infinitely many perfect beings: - Arihants – liberated, but still with a body, who have destroyed all inner enemies (anger, pride, deceit, greed). - Siddhas – fully liberated souls without body, dwelling in Siddha-śilā. - All Siddhas are equal in perfection, but they are many individuals, not “one person”.

Sometimes you may hear phrases like “Paramātmā ek hai” (the Supreme Soul is one) in a philosophical sense, meaning: - The state (avasthā) of liberation is one and the same in quality (perfect knowledge, perfect faith, perfect bliss). - But the souls who attain that state are many and distinct.

So: - One: the nature/state of perfection (keval‑jñān, keval‑darśan, etc.) is one type, the same in all Siddhas. - Many: the substances (souls) who possess that perfection are innumerable.

1. Your logical puzzle: how many are needed to be “one”?

You are mixing two different kinds of “one”:

1. Numerical oneness – “only one individual exists”. 2. Qualitative oneness – “many individuals share one and the same kind of quality/state”.

Jainism says:

- Numerically: - Souls = infinite. - Liberated beings = infinite. - Devas (heavenly beings) = infinite. - Qualitatively: - The state of liberation (mokṣa-bhāva) is one in nature: any liberated soul has exactly the same kind of perfection.

So we never say: - “There is only one soul in the whole universe.” (That would be wrong.) - Nor do we say: “There is only one God who created and controls everything.” (Also not Jain doctrine.)

Instead we say:

- Infinite souls, each eternal and individual. - Infinite perfect Gods (Siddhas), all possessing one and the same state of perfection, but remaining separate souls.

1. So are we contradicting ourselves?

No, because:

- When we say “many”, we talk about number of souls / number of liberated beings. - When we say “one”, we talk about the type of perfection / state / quality they share, not about their count.

Example (very simple): - There can be millions of lamps, but one kind of light (illumination) in nature. - Jainism would say: - Lamps = like many souls. - Light = like one kind of pure, perfect knowledge/bliss appearing in all liberated souls.

So, in summary:

• How many “gods”?

Infinitely many perfect beings (Arihants & Siddhas), plus countless devas. No single creator God.

• How many souls?

Infinitely many, all eternal and individual.

• Is there “one and only one God” as a person?

No. Jainism does not teach one personal, creator God. It teaches infinite perfect souls, all sharing one kind of perfect state, but each remaining a distinct soul forever.