what is digambar and shwetambar

Digambar and Shwetambar are the two main Jain monastic communities (sects) within Jainism.

• Digambar (sky-clad): "Sky-clad" monks do not wear clothes as a symbol of renunciation. They emphasize strict asceticism and renunciation. In Digambar tradition, it is believed that women cannot become monks and that the path to liberation for monks is separate from the possibility of ordaining women as mendicants.

• Shwetambar (white-clad): "White-clad" monks and nuns wear white robes. This tradition accepts both men and women as capable of achieving moksha (liberation). They follow a corpus of scriptures that is different from the Digambar collection and have their own monastic rules and practices.

Key differences in a nutshell:

• Attire: Digambar monks are naked (sky-clad); Shwetambar monks/nuns wear white robes.
• Canonical texts: Both traditions have their own recognized scriptures; they differ in which texts they accept as authoritative.
• Moksha for women: Digambar tradition generally holds that women cannot attain moksha as a monastic, whereas Shwetambar tradition holds that women can attain moksha (often as female ascetics or through other paths).
• Monastic rules: They have distinct codes of conduct and rituals, reflecting their interpretations of Jain ideals.

Both groups share core Jain beliefs (ahimsa, anekantavada, karma, Jain cosmology, the Tirthankaras, and the aim of moksha) but practice and interpret certain aspects differently.