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JAIN FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS
Chapter 31 - Jain Festivals and Celebrations
Jainism has a rich tradition of rituals and festivals. Jain rituals and festivals emphasize the spiritual aspects of Jainism. During Jain festivals, many events of Lord Mahävir's life are acted out in symbolic form to bring out the message of Lord Mahävir in a simpler way. Rituals and festivals involve the practice of Jainism as well as revitalization and strengthening of our beliefs in Jainism. The Jain festivals are known as Parvas. The word "Parva" means auspicious day.
Paryushan Mahä Parva: Paryushan Parva consists of eight days per Shvetämbar tradition and ten days per Digambar tradition. It starts on twelfth or thirteenth day of the dark half of the month Shravan. The month of Shravan is in the monsoon season. Jain monks and nuns do not stay at one place more than a few days during non-rainy season. Monsoon showers and torrential rains, however make it impossible for the monks to travel across the country. This coupled with the principle of Ahinsä or non-violence, make it difficult for them not to trample on and squash insects and other forms of life that emerge in the monsoon. According to our scriptures, the last of Paryushan Parva known as Samvatsari day is celebrated on 50 th day of the monsoon season. Monks and nuns must settled during this time period and remain at that place for the remaining Monsoon season of next 70 days.
Meaning of Paryushan The word "Paryushan" has several different meanings:
1. Pari + Ushan = all kinds + to burn = to burn (shed) our all types of Karmas. To shed
our Karmas, we do twelve different types of austerities including fasting.
2. Another meaning of "Ushan" is to stay closer. To stay closer to our own soul from all
directions and to stay absorbed in our own-self (soul), we do Swadhyay (self-study), meditation, austerities, etc.
3. Pari + Upashamanä = Upashamana means to suppress, to suppress our passions
(Kashayas - anger, ego, deceit and greed) from all directions.
Therefore, the real purpose of the Paryushan is to purify our soul by staying closer to our own soul, to look at our own faults, to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes we have committed, and take vows to minimize our sins. We should try to forget about the needs of our body (like food) and our business so that we can concentrate on our soul during Paryushan.
Recitation of Kalpa Sutra Per Shvetämbar tradition, there are regular ceremonies in the temple and discourses of Kalpa Sutra (one of the sacred books) in the Upäshray during this time. Kalpa Sutra, which contains a detailed account of Mahävir's life in addition to the lives of other Tirthankars. It is read to the Jain congregation by Guru maharaj. On the third day of the Paryushan Parva, the Kalpa Sutra receives a very special reverence and may be carried in the procession. On the fifth
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JAIN PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE I
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