Within living Jain traditions, the Acharanga Sutra functions less as a relic of the past and more as a living charter of conduct, especially for monastics. Among monks and nuns it is studied in its original language, often with memorization of key passages and careful explanation by teachers, and it forms a central part of formal scriptural training. Its detailed prescriptions on movement, speech, food, travel, and interaction with laypeople are treated as a practical guide for daily discipline, shaping how ascetics walk, beg, eat, and even endure hardship. The vows of non-violence, non-possession, celibacy, truthfulness, and restraint are continually interpreted in its light, with adaptations where necessary to fit present conditions while preserving the spirit of renunciation and vigilance.

For lay Jains, the text serves more as an ethical and spiritual touchstone than as a literal rulebook. Selected portions are read or discussed in study circles, religious schools, and during festivals, often through vernacular translations that highlight themes such as non-violence, carefulness, and simplicity of life. Sermons and discourses by religious leaders draw on its narratives and precepts to illuminate questions of personal conduct, family life, and professional ethics, encouraging compassion, honesty, and restraint in thought, word, and deed. In this way, the rigorous ideal of the monk becomes a mirror by which householders measure and refine their own conduct, even if they do not imitate its austerities in full.

The Acharanga Sutra also retains a ritual and contemplative presence. Verses from the text are recited or chanted in ceremonies, during festivals, and in meditation or scriptural worship, preserving both its sound and its sanctity. During major observances, especially those focused on repentance, forgiveness, and renewal of vows, its descriptions of disciplined conduct and non-violence are invoked to deepen the community’s collective resolve. In many settings, its teachings on universal non-harm are extended to concerns such as care for animals and the natural world, so that the ancient voice of the scripture continues to guide reflection on the ethical challenges of modern life.

Alongside devotional and practical uses, there is a sustained scholarly engagement with the Acharanga Sutra. Jain scholars and teachers prepare translations, commentaries, and critical studies that clarify its language and concepts, and these are used in both traditional institutions and academic settings. Such study not only illuminates the historical roots of Jain asceticism and non-violence, but also provides resources for rearticulating these ideals in contemporary discourse. Through this layered pattern of monastic discipline, lay reflection, ritual recitation, and scholarly interpretation, the Acharanga Sutra remains a living source of guidance, continually re-read as a map for inner discipline and compassionate living.