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UPSC PRELIMS POWER_ PLAY-ANCIENT HISTORY(Jainism)

Digambara school of Jainism


Monks of this sect believe in complete nudity. Male monks do not wear clothes while female monks
wear unstitched plain white sarees.

Follow all five vows (Satya, Ahimsa, Asteya, Aparigraha and Brahmacharya).

Digambaras believe that women cannot achieve liberation without first being reborn as a man.
This is because:

women cannot live a truly ascetic life, because they have to possess clothes since it is
impractical for them to live naked women are intrinsically harmful

Thats why Digambara images of every Tirthankara are always male, naked, without ornaments,
and with downcast eyes


Jain sects
Jains are divided into two major sects;

  • Digambara (meaning sky clad) sect and 
  • Svetambara (meaning white clad) sect. 


Each of these sects is also divided into subgroups.

The two sects agree on the basics of Jainism, but disagree on:

  • details of the life of Mahavira
  • the spiritual status of women
  • whether monks should wear clothes
  • rituals
  • which texts should be accepted as scripture

  • The Digambara sect is more austere, and is closer in its ways to the Jains at the time of Mahavira.


Differences between Svetambara and Digambara:
Both groups accept the basic Jain philosophy and the five basic vows. The philosophical
differences between the groups mostly affect monks and nuns, or the very pious.

Scripture
Digambaras and Svetambaras disagree as to which books constitute Jain scripture.

Women
Digambaras believe that women cannot achieve liberation without first being reborn as a man.

This is because:

  • women cannot live a truly ascetic life, because they have to possess clothes since it is impractical for them to live naked
  • women are intrinsically harmful


Jinas
Digambaras believe that the Jinas:

  • have no bodily functions
  • live without food
  • do not act in the world


Dress and possessons

Digambara monks live completely naked. This is because Digambaras believe that one can
only lead the life of a true monk:


  • by having no worldly possessions
  • by demonstrating indifference to earthly emotions such as shame

Nuns of both groups are clothed.

Digambara monks are not allowed any possessions, not even begging bowls and so can
only receive gifts in their cupped hands.

Svetambara monks can have a few possessions:

  • simple white clothing
  • a begging bowl
  • a brush to remove insects from their path
  • books and writing materials

IMAGES
Digambara images of tirthankaras have downcast eyes
Svetambara images have prominent staring eyes
Digambara images are plain (and always carved as naked figures)
Svetambara images are richly decorated
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