Jainism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Traditions and sects== {{Main|Jain schools and branches}} {{multiple image |total_width=250 | image1 = Mahavir.jpg | caption1 = Digambara [[Mahāvīra]] iconography | image2 = Shri Simandhar Swami.jpg | caption2 = Śvētāmbara [[Simandhar Swami]] iconography }} The Jain community is divided into two major [[Religious denomination|denominations]], [[Digambara]] and [[Śvētāmbara]]. Monks of the Digambara (sky-clad) tradition do not wear clothes. Female monastics of the Digambara sect wear unstitched plain white [[saree]]s and are referred to as ''[[Aryika]]s''. Śvētāmbara (white-clad) monastics, on the other hand, wear seamless white clothes.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|p=45}} During Chandragupta Maurya's reign, Jain tradition states that ''Acharya'' Bhadrabahu predicted a twelve-year-long famine and moved to Karnataka with his disciples. [[Sthulabhadra]], a pupil of ''Acharya'' Bhadrabahu, is believed to have stayed in Magadha.{{sfn|Clarke|Beyer|2009|p=326}} Later, as stated in tradition, when followers of ''Acharya'' Bhadrabahu returned, they found those who had remained at Magadha had started wearing white clothes, which was unacceptable to the others who remained naked.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|p=47}} This is how Jains believe the Digambara and Śvētāmbara schism began, with the former being naked while the latter wore white clothes.{{sfn|von Glasenapp|1925|p=46}} Digambara saw this as being opposed to the Jain tenet of ''aparigraha'' which, according to them, required not even possession of clothes, i.e. complete nudity. In the fifth-century CE, the Council of Valabhi was organized by Śvētāmbara, which Digambara did not attend. At the council, the Śvētāmbara adopted the texts they had preserved as canonical scriptures, which Digambara has ever since rejected. This council is believed to have solidified the historic schism between these two major traditions of Jainism.{{sfn|Price|2010|pp=104–105}}{{sfn|Fohr|2015|pp=21–22}} The earliest record of Digambara beliefs is contained in the Prakrit ''Suttapahuda'' of [[Kundakunda]].{{sfn|Jaini|1991|p=3}} Digambaras and Śvētāmbara differ in their practices and dress code,{{sfn|Jones|Ryan|2007|p=211}}{{sfn|Umakant P. Shah|1987|p=5}}{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=31–33}} interpretations of teachings,{{sfn|Umakant P. Shah|1987|p=5}}{{sfn|Jaini|2000|pp=27–28}} and on Jain history especially concerning the ''tirthankaras''.{{sfn|Kailash Chand Jain|1991|p=12}}{{sfn|Natubhai Shah|2004|pp=73–74}}{{sfn|Dundas|2002|p=21}}{{sfn|Umakant P. Shah|1987|p=17}}{{sfn|Umakant P. Shah|1987|pp=79–80}} Their monasticism rules differ,{{sfn|Dalal|2010a|p=167}} as does their [[iconography]].{{sfn|Dalal|2010a|p=167}} Śvētāmbara has had more female than male mendicants,{{sfn|Cort|2001a|p=47}} where Digambara has mostly had male monks{{sfn|Flügel|2006|pp=314–331, 353–361}} and considers males closest to the soul's liberation.{{sfn|Long|2013|pp=36–37}}{{sfn|Harvey|2016|pp=182–183}} The Śvētāmbaras believe that women can also achieve liberation through asceticism{{sfn|Harvey|2016|pp=182–183}}{{sfn|Dundas|2002|pp=55–59}} and state that the 19th ''Tirthankara'' [[Māllīnātha]] was female,{{sfn|Vallely|2002|p=15}} which Digambara rejects.{{sfn|Dundas|2002|p=56}} Early Jain images from Mathura depict Digambara iconography until late fifth century CE where Svetambara iconography starts appearing.{{sfn|Vyas|1995|p=16}} Excavations at Mathura revealed Jain statues from the time of the [[Kushan Empire]] (c.{{nbsp}}1st century CE).{{sfn|Jaini|2000|p=167}} ''Tirthankara'' represented without clothes, and monks with cloth wrapped around the left arm, are identified as the ''Ardhaphalaka'' (half-clothed) mentioned in texts.{{sfn|Jaini|2000|p=167}} The [[Yapaniya]]s, believed to have originated from the ''Ardhaphalaka'', followed Digambara nudity along with several Śvētāmbara beliefs.{{sfn|Jaini|2000|p=167}} In the modern era, according to Flügel, new Jain religious movements that are a "primarily devotional form of Jainism" have developed which resemble "Jain Mahayana" style devotionalism.{{sfn|Flügel|2005|pp=194–243}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page