Śvētāmbara

The ÅšvÄ"tāmbara (/ʃwɛˈtÊŒmbÉ™rÉ™/; Sanskrit: श्वेतांबर or श्वेतपट Å›vÄ"tapaá¹­a; also spelled Svetambar, Shvetambara, Shvetambar,Swetambar or Shwetambar) is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being the Digambara. ÅšvÄ"tāmbara "white-clad" is a term describing its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara "sky-clad" Jainas, whose ascetic practitioners go naked. ÅšvÄ"tāmbaras, unlike Digambaras, do not believe that ascetics must practice nudity.

ÅšvÄ"tāmbaras also believe that women are able to obtain moksha. ÅšvÄ"tāmbaras maintain that the 19th Tirthankara, Mallinath, was a woman. In 2006, there were 2,510 monks and 10,228 nuns in the ÅšvÄ"tāmbara sects while there were 548 Digambara monks and 527 Digambara nuns.

The ÅšvÄ"tāmbara tradition follows the lineage of Acharya Sthulibhadra Suri. The Kalpa SÅ«tra mentions some of the lineages in ancient times. The ÅšvÄ"tāmbara monastic orders are branches of the Vrahada Order, which was founded in 937 AD. The most prominent among the classical orders today are the Kharatara (founded 1024 AD), the Tapa (founded 1228 AD) and the Tristutik.

A major dispute was initiated by Lonka Shaha, who started a movement opposed to idol worship in 1476. The Sthanakvasi and Terapanthi orders are branches of this movement.

Major reforms by Vijayananda Suri of the Tapa Order in 1880 led a movement to restore orders of wandering monks, which brought about the near-extinction of the Yati institutions. Acharya Rajendrasuri restored the shramana organization in the Tristutik Order.

Some ÅšvÄ"tāmbara monks and nuns cover their mouth with a white cloth or muhapatti to practise ahimsa even when they talk. By doing so they minimize the possibility of inhaling small organisms.

Denominations

The ÅšvÄ"tāmbara sect got divided into different panths. First some saints left ÅšvÄ"tāmbara sect to form Lonka sect in 1474 AD,, which eventually lead to forming of SthānakavāsÄ« in 1653 AD. In 1760 AD 13 Saints started their own panth called "Terapanth".

So now at present there are 3 panths in the ÅšvÄ"tāmbara sect: Murtipujaka (Deravasi), SthānakavāsÄ« and Terapanth. The SthānakavāsÄ« believe in praying to Saints than to an idol in temple, the same philosophy is carried on by "Terapanth". Other difference between Deravasi Jains and SthānakavāsÄ« Jains is that the saints (monks) of Deravasi do not wear white cloth (white cloth called as muhapatti) near their mouth to cover it, they hold it in hand. While SthānakavāsÄ« and Terapanthi saints wear muhapatti through white cotton thread tied to their ears. They do not keep Idols in Worship place called Sthanak or Derasar. They pray and bow to Panch Mahamantar. While Murtipujaka people keep an idol of Tirthankar at their derasar and they worship them.

Notes

References

• Mary Pat Fisher, Living Religions (5th Edition) (2003), p. 130