Naked monks.
Yeah, that got your attention, didn’t it? Naked monks. Yes, they exist. In India.
I was very surprised to find information about monks who are not allowed to wear clothes. Clothes are seen as embellishment and these monks don’t embellish themselves.
This sounds all sweet and wonderful, but there is more to being a nude monk than not wearing clothes. If you love your big screen TV, kiss that goodbye when you become a Digambara monk.
There is a Jain text that says:
Salutation to the Ascetic (Sādhu) abound in faith and knowledge, who incessantly practises pure conduct that surely leads to liberation.
— Dravyasaṃgraha
Naked monks in Nepal
Attitude and… weather.
It may be obvious that you need the right kind of attitude to become such a monk as you have to give up all worldly goods. You need to beg for food and you can own only the fewest bits of man-made utensils. A Digambara monk is allowed to keep only a feather whisk, a water gourd and scripture with him.
Also make sure you live in the right region. When you’re in an area where it gets cold it’s smart to choose another occupation. One that has heating and/or clothes.
Sources.
Information for this post mostly came from Wikipedia and Quora.
