Jainism Part 2

Digambara is quite an interesting branch of Jainism. The name ["Digambaras"] means "clothed sky" or "atmosphere-clad," according to the Jain community. It is a pleasant way of referring to the monks' ideal of going completely naked, even in public. The Digambara branch holds that everything must be renounced, including the last scrap of clothing and the consequent shame of nakedness.

The majority of its members live in southern India today. As tradition explains, a famine that occurred in the north drove many Jains southward.

Divergences developed between those who had remained in the north and those who had moved south. Thinking that northern followers had lost an essential seriousness, the southern branch became conservative, continuing to insist on renunciation of the most literal type.

Its conservatism shows itself in many ways.

For example, Digambara Jainism does not accept women into monastic life, holding that they may become monks only when they have been reborn as men. This is possibly due to a high regard for celibacy in Digambara Jainism. The branch also rejects the tradition that Mahavira was ever married.

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Questions:

1) How might Digambara Jainism be similar to or dissimilar to other religious traditions?

2) Does Digambara follow the original teachings of Mahavira?

3) What might be a reason for Digambara barring women from joining the tradition?

4) Did you find the OP to be helpful?

Reference:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Digambara