ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 110

1.0 Peculiarities of Jain festivals
Jain religion is emphasizes spiritual purification to attain its pure state. Thus they aim at selfimprovement. Accordingly its festivals have the following peculiarities:
a. Spiritual purification It is the primary objective of Jain festivals. Therefore they try to minimize the four passions (anger, deceit, pride and greed) by adopting the three jewels i.e. right belief-knowledge and conduct. They practice nonviolence, non-stealing, speaking truth, non-possession and celibacy. Fasting, meditation, prolonged worshipping in the temples, reading holy texts and listening to the religious discourses by monks and scholars, donating money, food etc, giving up some normal foods or bad habits to attain greater self control and visiting holy places and people are some of the activities undertaken for enhancing spiritual purification.
b. Preaching right conduct Self control, equanimity are the two principles taught by and practiced by Jains during festivals as against merry making and enjoying worldly pleasures by others. Association with monks, temples, pious laity and performing religious rituals enforce right conduct in us. Giving up, rather than acquiring more worldly wealth is the hallmark of Jain festivals. Similarly by being simple and renouncing worldly comforts, we develop equanimity with others and eliminate the discrimination between rich and poor etc.
C. Experiencing own nature and detachment We experience pain in our life all the time due to failures in our mission, separations, sickness etc. We try to find ways and means to minimize these pains. Festivals are the important occasions whereby we are exposed to such experiences and lessons from auspicious beings (pamca parmaestis) who have either attained BLISS or are seriously aspiring to have it. Jainism believes in duality of existence i.e. living and nonliving beings. Living beings in pure state are endowed with infinite vision-cognitionbliss and energy so that they can experience these forever. Pain is due to the association of pure soul (living being) with non-living beings (karmas). Hence we learn the science of detachment of karmas from soul to attain pure soul status and experience our own nature as indicated by its four attributes infinite attributes.
d. Others Festivals also provide an opportunity for the community to know each other, take up community projects and understand each other better. Similarly celebrations of festivals provide a platform to all to present their knowledge, artistic skills, wealth, social acquaintances and commaradiere and other attributes for the good cause of all and contribute to the propagation of Jain philosophy and culture. For example when we go to a celebration, we have no other occupation on our mind but to enhance our religious, cultural and social knowledge and skills.
2.0 Types of festivals There are two types of festivals namely:
Eternal (nitya): i.e. those festivals that are being observed since time immerial or forever. They have no beginning. They can be also further sub-classified as those being observed annually / quarterly / fortnightly or daily. Event oriented (naimittika) i.e. those festivals, which are associated with some event. These events are normally the five life stages (kaly akas i.e. conception, birth, renunciation, attaining omniscience and attaining salvation) of 24 t rtha karas i.e. spiritual preachers of Jainism; significant events like removing the obstacles experienced by monks or religious people; creation of Holy Scriptures or building a new temple etc. These are mostly annual festivals.
Out of the 24 t rtha karas, only the birth and moksa or salvation days of Bhagav na Mah vra are celebrated as major festivals. We shall now look at some examples of both types of festivals of Jains.
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0