The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1134 page)

). The aim of Jain spiritual endeavour is to liberate the soul (
j
va
) by freeing it from accumulated
karma
. Every soul is potentially divine and can aspire to
mok
a
by following a course of purification and discipline demonstrated by the t
rtha
karas. At the heart of Jainism lies a radical asceticism based on
five great vows
which monks and nuns follow and which the laity attempt to the best of their ability. The major schism of Jainism between the
Digambara
(‘the atmosphere clad’, i.e. naked) and
vet
mbara (‘white clad’), began to emerge as early as 300 BCE ostensibly over whether monks should go naked or wear a simple cloth; but the two schools came to embody differing views towards the scriptures (see
A
GA
), women, and monastic practice.
In early years, the Jain movement diffused from its place of origin in the Ganges basin. The diffusion of Jainism accelerated the tendency to form separate groups (see
GACCHA
). Jain philosophy rejects the authority of the
Vedas
,
caste
, and the idea of a God who creates. It is characterized by a realistic classification of being and a theory of knowledge which has connections with
S
khya
and Buddhist thought. Jain philosophers have made many distinctive contributions to Indian philosophy particularly in the kindred doctrines of
nayav
da
and
sy
dv
da
which together form the doctrine of the manysidedness of reality (
anek
ntav
da