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What is Paryushan? Ankoor Shah (Pathshala Student)
Bhadrapada Shukla panchami. Digambaras and Swetambaras are Jain subsects attempting to get everyone to use the same date when paryushan starts.
Paryushan is the biggest event on the Jain calendar. It lasts about 8 - 10 days in August or September. The minimum duration of paryushan is regarded to be seventy days. For this minimum duration, paryushan must be initiated by panchami of the shulka phase of the Bhadrapada month. During Paryushan Jains reflect upon their actions throughout the past year. Paryushan is concluded with a three hour prayer called Pratikraman. Pratikraman is a Jain ritual.
To conclude Paryushan there is a three hour prayer called Pratikraman. It means turning back. Pratikraman includes Samayika, prayers to the 5 supremes, 24 Jinas and the 4 magnalas, including the Dharma as presented to the ancient masters. We also pray to the Master Guru, reflect on vratas and past transgressions, Kayotsarga, and pratyakhyan.
Paryushan's origin is related to the staying of the monks in one place for the wet or monsoon season. In real terminology this stay is termed "chaturmaasa" because the wet season is for four months. In the scriptures it is described that Lord Mahavira used to start Paryushan on
At the end of Pratikraman the people request each other for forgiveness for all offenses committed during the last year.
"Jain spirituality teaches us that happiness or unhappiness is centered in the soul and not in worldly objects. Pleasure and pain are selfcreated.”
"Karma is the root of birth and death. The cycle of birth and death is the sole cause of misery. Misery is gone in the case of a man who has no delusion, while delusion is gone in the case of a man who has no desire; desire is gone in the case of a man who has no greed, while greed is gone in the case of a man who has no attachments."
the self through the self."
"The spiritual journey of soul starts from impure state of the soul and ends with the pure state of the soul."
"The nature of soul is equanimity. The ultimate end of soul is also equanimity."
All of these quotes were from Sagarmal Jain's fantastic book Jaina Sadhana.
Quotations collected by Somil Ghelani
(Pathshala Student)
"Karma itself is competent to produce its fruit and due course of time there is no need of god or other external power for its fruition."
"Moksa, according to Jainism, means a complete perfection and purification of the soul.”
"A liberated soul is really free from all sorts of impurities and from the cycle of birth and death."
"He who is not affected by worldly life, just as the lotus leaf is unspoiled by the muddy water."
- Uttaraadhyayan Sutra "Limiting our possessions to the level of decency includes limiting our desires for more."
- Gerard A. Vanderhaar
"Jainism believes that every individual soul has the potentialities of Godhood and the soul can attain it."
"Thus emancipation according to Jainism is nothing but realization of one's real nature."
"A biased person tries to justify whatever he has already accepted while an unbiased person accepts what is logically justified."
- Acharya Gunaratna Suri Quotations collected by Rahul Vora
(Pathshala Student)
"The mission of Jainism is the realization of
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