________________
25
THE DAILY ACTIVITIES AND SPECIAL DUTIES OF A SHRAVAK
Our thoughts are formed by our activities and observances. Noble activities and observances inspire noble thoughts. The internal feelings and thoughts and the development of the heart take place in accordance with the external activities. Noble activities and observances bring about noble propensities. Therefore, noble observances and activities are essential to bring about in the shravaks, noble thoughts, noble emotions and noble developments. With this aim in view, the Jain shastras expound the shraddhavidhi. The writers of those shastras have described the daily activities of shravaks, their austerities during the Chaturmas, the festival of Paryushan and the activities to be carried out throughout the year.
First of all, let us think of the daily activities of a shravak. The shravak who desires spiritual elevation must sacrifice sleep when there is still about one and half hours of the night, that means, he must get up one and half hours before sunrise. As soon as getting up, he must utter with devotion, the holy expression "Namo Arihantanam" (The Namaskar Mahamantra). Then, in order to remain polite, firm and safe he must get out of bed and offer salutations to the Panchaparameshti and must recite the Navakar Mahamantra about 7 times. This contemplation should take place in the sun-centre of the heart; in the centre of the grains in the eight petals of the lotus of the heart. After that, the shravak must think of these questions. "Who am I? From where have I come? Whither should I go? What is my dharma? What is my duty in that sphere? How is that duty necessary? What kind of god and spiritual head have I got? How is it proper to utilise this opportunity?"
The Namaskar Mahamantra contains salutations to the Arihantas, the Siddhas, the Acharyas, the Upadhyayas and the Sadhus. These are the Panchaparameshthis. This is greatest of all mantras because :
the
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
