Monastic Ranks
Full munis in both the Svetambara and Digambara traditions are assigned to different ranks as mentioned in the Namokar Mantra:
- Acharya: leader of the order
- Upajjhaya: a learned monk, who both teaches and studies himself
- Muni: an ordinary ascetic
But over a period of time, many designations were designed as mentioned in shastras like gani, pannyas, pravartak etc.
In the Digambara traditions, a junior monk can have several ranks:
- Ailak: uses one piece of cloth
- Kshullak: uses two pieces of cloth
- Aryika: all women ascetics wear clothing
The Terapanthi sect of the Svetambara has a new rank of junior monks, samana.
Read more about this topic: Jain Monks
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