In Jainism, parigraha means trust or attachment to possessions, not simply owning things. Clothes are one kind of possession, but the deeper issue is our tendency to cling to them as sources of identity, security, or pleasure.

Key points:

• Parigraha vs. possession: It’s the attachment to things (like clothes) that harms inner freedom, not the material object itself. One can own clothes without being bound to them if there is awareness and non-attachment.
• Monastic contrast: Digambar monks renounce clothes completely as a dramatic symbol of complete detachment from all possessions. Shwetambar monks wear white robes, teaching the same principle of non-attachment but adapting to their tradition. Both aim to dissolve clingings, just in different outward expressions.
• Lay practice: For lay Jainas, clothes are necessary for modesty and social norms, but one should practice aparigraha—limiting and letting go of unnecessary possessions and not letting belongings define one’s happiness.
• Practical attitude: The goal is to see impermanence (anitya) of all things, including clothes, and to cultivate detachment through right understanding, restraint, and mindful living.

So, it’s not about condemning clothing itself but about not letting clothing become a source of bondage to desires or ego. The tradition uses different outward practices to teach the same inner principle of complete non-attachment.