Jainism itself is not “divided” in its core principles, but over time different traditions (sampradāy / panth) formed inside the same Dharma.

The main reasons:

1. Historical and geographical separation

- After Bhagwān Mahāvīr’s nirvāṇ, Jain monks and nuns spread to different regions of India. - Over many centuries, groups living far apart developed slightly different ways of: - following rules for sadhu–sādhvī life, - doing rituals, - preserving scriptures. - Slowly these differences became fixed “traditions”.

1. Digambar and Shvetambar difference

The biggest “division” people talk about is Digambar and Shvetambar.

Very simply:

- Digambar (दिगंबर) - Monks remain nude (without clothes) as a symbol of complete renunciation. - Believe that a true muni gives up all possessions including clothes. - Have their own set of āgamas / scriptures and their own ācāryas, temples, rituals, etc. - Traditionally hold that after a certain period, the original āgamas were lost and were later re‑compiled through ācāryas’ knowledge and tradition.

- Shvetambar (श्वेतांबर) - Monks wear simple white clothes. - Believe that wearing a basic white cloth is not against renunciation. - Preserve a different collection of āgamas and have their own ācāryas, temples, rituals, etc. - They believe many original āgamas were preserved and put into written form later.

Because of this, there are also differences in: - view on whether women can attain keval‑jñān in the present era, - some details of Bhagwān Mahāvīr’s life (e.g., married or not), - image‑style of Tirthankars in temples.

1. Differences inside each main sect

Later, within Digambar and Shvetambar themselves, more groups formed, for example:

- Among Shvetambar: - Mūrtipūjak (with idol worship) - Sthānakvāsī (no idols, focus on sādhana, pravachan) - Terāpanthī (strict discipline, single ācārya tradition)

- Among Digambar: - Various gacch / sampradāy around different ācāryas and maths, - Slight differences in rituals, fasting practices, and local customs.

These came from: - different ācāryas giving some special emphasis (like more on dhyān, more on anushthān, more on non‑idol worship, etc.), - regional culture and language, - reform movements trying to remove practices they felt were added later.

1. What is common and never “divided”

Despite these differences, all Jain traditions share the same basic Dharma:

- Ahimsā (non‑violence) - Satya (truth) - Achaurya / Asteya (non‑stealing) - Brahmacharya (celibacy / sexual restraint) - Aparigraha (non‑possessiveness) - Belief in Tirthankars, in karma, in rebirth, in moksha, and in the path of right faith–right knowledge–right conduct.

So, from a Jain view, it is more correct to say: “Jainism has different traditions, but one Dharma.”

If you want, I can explain specifically the main differences between Digambar and Shvetambar in very simple bullet points.