What?
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These men are Jain monks or ascetics - some wander totally naked - no matter the season, so completely detached are they from worldly goods and possessions. Others actually wear a band over their mouths to maintain silence - I think. It seems strange to us in the West of course - although Indian food is very popular now days, and many TV shows (Big Bang Theory) have Indian actors. But I digress. One shouldn't be scandalized by the nudity, since even in Orthodox tradition, some holy ascetics went around naked - these were often considered to be holy fools for Christ. None of this would be tolerated in the West today however - although it is still permitted in India. In Minneapolis there are many people from India and we even have Hindu temples - although it must be noted Jains are not Hindus.
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I heard from a monk friend yesterday, just after reading about Jain monasticism, homeless pilgrims, and Franciscan poverty and asceticism. It seemed like such a coincidence.
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For more information on Jainism (it isn't Catholic), click here.
That's all. ...well maybe not:
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The top illustration of ascetics is to replace photo showing real life Jain ascetics.
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One more unique aspect of Jainism is its ascetics. The Jain ascetics are homeless wanderers, having no possession of any kind. They follow strict celibacy and guide basic layman about the principles of Jainism and principles of nonviolence, which they follow strictly. They never use vehicle and still travel thousands of miles. They renounce the material worldly things and show the people that true happiness lies in non-possessiveness and not in material or sensual pleasures. Their wealth is their spirituality.
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