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Celebrating Jain Society of Houston Pratishtha Mahotsav 1995
The Jain temple is perhaps most accurately viewed as a replica of the samavarasana (holy assembly of the Tirthankars). The laymen comes near as though he were actually approaching the spot where a living Jina sits immobile, bathed in omniscient glory, "preaching" by means of the miraculous sound emanating from his body. The Jina-image itself is. used as a tangible aid to visualization of such a sacred being; there by one can hope to awaken his soul's potential for samayak-darsana, as so often supposedly happened to those fortunate enough to have encountered a real Jina in ancient times.
the Gods from the various oceans described in Jain Cosmology; the 'baby Jina" is sprinkled with the holy liquid. The sequence of the actions in this and certain other stages of the ritual is fairly complex; thus a person of advanced religious standing (a Jain-Brahman, a ksullaka, or a layman who has reached at least the seventh pratima) "officiates, instructing the participants in their roles as the ceremony proceeds.
The Great ceremony of the Five Auspicious occasions
A panca-kalyana-mahotsav continues for a few days.
Its third phase begins when the Jina-image, now seen as a full-grown "prince", is adorned with jewelry and silken clothing. Various "kings" come to pay him tribute, and the laukantika-devas (played by certain young people of the community) remind him that the time for his renunciation is at hand. The image is
The visualization rationale discussed above is carried still further by the important temple ritual which, using an image as its "central character", reenacts the five auspicious events (panca-kalyana) in the life of a Tirthankar (conception, birth, renunciation, attainment of omniscience, and nirvana). This ceremony is not a daily or regularly scheduled one; it is ordinarily performed only when a new image or set of images is to be installed. Thus it-not only provides a "vision of the Jina" (the kind of symbolic "encounter" discussed above) for the lay participants, but it also serves to sanctify the new icons. Jains believe that erecting a Jina-image is the noblest of worldly activities; one who commissions the building of such an image, as well as its proper consecration by performance of the "great ceremony of the five auspicious occasions" (panch-kalyanmahotsav), is considered very likely to be born in a world blessed with a living Tirthankar.
then decorated still further and carried in grand procession to a park outside the town. If the image, or images, being sanctified is too large to be moved easily, a smaller one represents it in this procession.
In the park the ornaments are removed and further consecration procedures (sprinkling with more holy water and sandalwood paste, for example) are carried out. Soon thereafter, the renunciant is considered to attain omniscience; this event is celebrated with great pomp, for it marks the point at which a Jina-image becomes worthy of worship. The fifth kalyana, attainment of nirvana, is of course duly celebrated, but not until after the image has been formally installed. As noted above, the Jina within a temple is considered to be still alive, seated in the samavasarana; hence, the marking of his departure from the worldly realm has little relevance to the religious practice of the layperson.
The ceremony itself strikes the outsider as a sort of stylized dramatic production. The person who has requested (and financed) this event takes the part of Sakra (Indra), king of Gods; he is accompanied by his wife in the role of Indrani, Sakra's consort, who is thought to come to earth to greet the birth of each Jina-to-be. Certain members of his family play the parents of the illustrious baby. The "mother" witnesses the sixteen auspicious dream images which portend so extraordinary a conception; artistic representations of these images (see Chapter 1) are displayed within the temple. During the "birth" phase (janam-kalyana), "Sakra" places the Jina-image atop a five-tiered pedestal, silver in color, which symbolizes Mount Meru, the center of the Jain universe. Local women close to the family that commissioned the ceremony then gather water from four different wells, signifying the waters drawn by
The ritual actions of the panca-kalyanamahotsav are accompanied by great festivity and merrymaking, especially at the time of birth ceremony. Music, temple dancing, and feasts are provided by the person installing the image; thus only a rich man can hope to undertake this meritorious activity. If he carries out the entire event in a grand fashion, such a man will receive the title of samgha-pati (leader of the community) and will command great respect from his fellows.
When the new image is finally placed upon its pedestal, perhaps flanked by various guardian deities, it obtains the very exalted status of a real Tirthankar. In a Digambar temple it will of course be devoid of all clothing and decoration. Shvetambars, on the other hand, will have carved it in such a way
"Violence in thought, indulging in violence, abetting violence by others, and to contemplate violence, is a sin"
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