In India there are thousands of Jain Monks, of which categories have been defined like Acarya, Upadhyaya and Muni. Trainee ascetics are known as Ailaka and Ksullaka in the Digambar tradition.
There are two categories of ascetics in Jainism.
Sadhu (monk) and Sadhvi (nun) they practice the five Mahavratas, three Guptis and five Samitis:
5 Mahavratas
· Ahimsa: Non-violence in thought, word and deed
· Satya: Truth which is (hita) beneficial, (mita) succinct and (priya) pleasing
· Acaurya: Not accepting anything that has not been given to them by the owner
· Brahmacarya: Absolute purity of mind and body
· Aparigraha: Non-attachment to non-self objects
3 Guptis
· Managupti: Control of the mind
· Vacanagupti: Control of speech
· Kayagupti: Control of body
5 Samitis
· Irya Samiti: Carefulness while walking
· Bhasha Samiti: Carefulness while communicating
· Eshana Samiti: Carefulness while eating
· Adana Nikshepana Samiti: Carefulness while handling their fly-whisks, water gourds, etc.
· Pratishthapana Samiti: Carefulness while disposing of bodily waste matter
Male Digambara monks do not wear any clothes. They are completely nude as they practise non-attachment to the body and hence, wear no clothes.
Digambara nuns and Shvetambara monks and nuns all wear white clothes.
Shvetambaras believe that monks and nuns may wear simply un-stitched white clothes as long as they are not attached to them. Whereas Digambaras believe the male Digambara ascetics cannot wear any clothes since clothes signify attachment to a non-self object (the body).
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