Jain Hand (Ahimsa, Abhaya Mudra)

The emblem of the Jain religion, symbolizing its main tenet, the doctrine of nonviolence. The hand is in the position of the abhaya or “no fear” mudra, a gesture-symbol shared with Hinduism and Buddhism. The wheel in the center of the palm is the wheel of Samsara (or dharmachakra); the word in the center of the wheel reads ahimsa, “stop.”

Together, they represent the halting of the cycle of reincarnation through the practice of Jain asceticism, the avoidance of harm to any living creature.