The Problems of the Genesis of Various Schools of Jaina Samgha

Summary

This article addresses the complex issues surrounding the formation of various schools (Samghas) within the Jaina monastic community. Historically, Jainism emphasised unity under the guidance of a single community of monks adhering to the same code of conduct. However, over the centuries numerous sects arose, leading to a rich but sometimes fragmented religious landscape. The author first traces the earliest schism between the Digambaras (sky‑clad) and the Śvetāmbaras (white‑clad), a division often attributed to a twelve‑year famine during which monks migrated and adapted their practices. The Digambaras insisted on complete nudity and the loss of original canonical texts, while the Śvetāmbaras retained the canon and permitted the wearing of white robes. Subsequent differences in doctrine, particularly concerning gender and ascetic equipment, entrenched the divide. The article then examines later sectarian formations such as the Sthānakavāsī and Terāpanthī communities, which emerged within Śvetāmbara Jainism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These groups rejected temple‑worship and idol‑veneration, emphasised inward meditation and the guidance of a single Acharya, and responded to social changes. The author analyses how ordinary monks who disagreed with the dominant acaryas seceded and formed new communities; such secessions were both reactions against perceived laxity and attempts to revitalise monastic discipline. Differences in interpretations of rituals like the samayika (meditation), the use of mūrtis (images) versus aniconic worship, and attitudes toward lay participation contributed to the proliferation of Samghas. The article also considers the role of charismatic leaders such as Kanjiswami in the Sthānakavāsī sect and Muni Nagaraji of the Terāpanthī tradition, who inspired followers to form cohesive groups distinct from the larger orders. From a sociological perspective, the author argues that the emergence of new Samghas reflects a dialectic between static traditions and dynamic innovations. Periods of consolidation—where a unified teaching prevailed—were repeatedly disrupted by crises that prompted monks to adopt new ideas; these new movements in turn sought unity, only to give rise to further differentiation. The article concludes that the ongoing formation of Jaina Samghas testifies to the religion’s vitality and its ability to adapt to changing conditions. Rather than weakening Jainism, this diversity has allowed various communities to find expressions suited to their contexts while retaining core ethical principles.