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RITUALS
D05 - Six Ävashyakas (Six Essentials and Daily Observances)
While treading the path of righteousness and morality and leading a diligent life, to impart pure and useful knowledge to students, to disseminate noble and virtuous ideas among the people, or to exhort others to devote their lives to good activities is superior to the donation of money. Therefore, donation of knowledge is highly superior to that of money. Service is also the best form of donation. Four Objectives of Donation:
To atone for the sins like unjust earning, etc. committed in the past
To employ in good activities the excess wealth saved after using it for one's comforts
To accomplish the philanthropic activities like constructing and maintaining educational institutions, hospitals, religious places, etc.
To serve righteous persons, saints, the learned, etc.
In the Bhagawati Sutra, Gautam Swami asked Bhagawän Mahävir Swami a question: "How many ways are there to God?" Bhagawan's answer was: "There are as many ways as there are atoms in the universe, but the best and shortest is Service." In the Sutra, Bhagawän Mahävir Swami also explains: "One who serves the sick and the miserable serves me through the Right Faith; and one who serves me through the Right Faith does service to the sick and the miserable."
Donation means:
No place for greed or pride in donation
To devote oneself completely to the service of other is the acme of donation
To show the good and righteous path to someone
To impart pure and useful knowledge
Donation of knowledge is highly superior to that of money
Service is also the best form of donation
The six essentials of Digambar tradition are also adopted by Shvetämbar tradition as daily activities for laymen and laywomen.
Furthermore, some Jains observe certain practices that involve special rituals, dietary restrictions, and fasting to develop self-control and detachment from worldly matters.
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Compendium of Jainism - 2015
