What is common about shvetambar and digambar
Here are the commonalities between Shvetambar and Digambar Jain traditions:
- Both honor the same goal: liberation (moksha) of the soul and hence practice ahimsa (non-violence), truth, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness (the five main vows for laypeople; stricter for monks and nuns).
- Both believe in the same basic Jain cosmology: jiva (soul) and ajiva (matter), karma as the moral law that binds the soul, and the cycle of birth and rebirth.
- Both venerates Mahavira as the last (24th) Tirthankara and share a common reverence for the Tirthankaras in general.
- Both teach the path of purification through ethical conduct, self-discipline, and spiritual disciplines to attain kevala-jñana (omniscience) and eventual moksha.
- Both recognize the practice of renunciation and the aspiration to live a purified life, though the outward practices of monks and nuns (such as clothing) differ.
- Both accept practices like fasting, penance, and, in some cases, the practice of sallekhana ( willingly embracing death by fasting) as part of advanced spiritual discipline, though the specifics and acceptability can vary by tradition.
If you’d like, I can also outline the main areas where they differ (e.g., on canonical scriptures, monastic attire, and certain ritual practices) to give a balanced view.