Ақ киімді жайндар: Шветамбара дәстүрінің тарихы мен ерекшеліктері

One of the two major schools of Jainism

The Śvetāmbara (/ʃ//w//ɛ/'/t//ʌ//m//b//ə//r//ə/; also spelled Shwetambara, Shvetambara, Svetambara or Swetambar) is one of the two main branches of Jainism, the other being the Digambara. Śvetāmbara in Sanskrit means "white clad", and refers to its ascetics' practice of wearing white clothes, which sets it apart from the Digambara or "sky clad" Jains whose ascetic practitioners go nude. Śvetāmbaras do not believe that ascetics must practice nudity. The Śvetāmbara and Digambara traditions have had historical differences ranging from their dress code, their temples and iconography, attitude towards Jain nuns, their legends and the texts they consider as important. Śvetāmbara Jain communities are currently found mainly in Gujarat, Rajasthan and coastal regions of Maharashtra. According to Jeffery D. Long, a scholar of Hindu and Jain studies, about four fifths of all Jains in India are Śvetāmbaras.

The Śvetāmbara texts were codified at the Great Council of Vallabhi under auspices of Devarddhigani Kshamashramana, which was held at Vallabhi in 454 CE. Majority of the Śvetāmbaras are murtipujakas, that is they actively offer devotional puja in temples, worship before the images or idols of Tirthankaras and important Jain goddesses. Others are split into various subtraditions where either Jain temples and halls are built but puja is minor, or where all construction and use of temples, images and idols is actively discouraged and avoided. These subtraditions began around 14th century through 18th century. One of the key Jain scholars who opposed devotional temples, images and idols was Lonka Shah (c. 1476 CE). These later subtraditions are primarily Sthānakavāsī and Terapanth orders. Early colonial era observers and some early 20th century Jain writers such as Malvaniya hypothesized that this movement against idol worship may be the impact of Islam on Jainism, but later scholarship states that the subtraditions arose from an internal dispute and debate on the principle Ahimsa (non violence). The new movements argued that the construction of temples or buildings of any kind, idols and images, as well as the puja rituals hurt and kill small creatures and microscopic life forms in soil, wood and other materials involved, and is thus against their core principle of non violence. The newer Śvetāmbara subtraditions 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. The terapanthi order is strongly aniconic and has lakhs of followers in many parts of the world. Early Jain images from Mathura depict Digambara iconography until late fifth century CE where Śvetāmbara iconography starts appearing.