WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Shvetambara means white-clad, and refers to the color of the plain cotton garment worn by members of this order, both male and female. Digambara means sky-clad, and refers to the fact that the males of this order are without clothes. (The nuns of the Digambara order are clothed like the Shvetambara).

Detailed explanation-2: -But in general, Jain monks and nuns live a hard life, with no or few worldly possessions. Although they are separated from their birth family they regard the whole world as their family. They live in small groups of five or six, not in big monastic communities, and spend their day in meditation and study.

Detailed explanation-3: -Jain monks and nuns only take sponge baths, since bathing wastes a lot of water; they wear frugal clothes that they tailor themselves and go begging for their needs. The vow of celibacy is so strict they cannot touch any male, including little boys.

Detailed explanation-4: -For Jains, vegetarianism is mandatory. In 2021 it was found that 92% of self-identified Jains in India adhered to some type of vegetarian diet and another 5% seem to try to follow a mostly vegetarian diet by abstaining from eating certain kinds of meat and/or abstaining from eating meat on specific days.