Jainism And Its History

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology

Page 95

7th c
"century AD. For this reason, Acārya Haribhadra, in the 8th century AD had to prohibit Jaina monks from performing many of these rituals. Haribhadra, in his 'Sambodha-Prakarana' prohibited Jaina monks to stay in caityas (temples) and worship of Jina-idols with articles of worship, dancing, singing or staging of dramas etc. in front of the Jina-idol. Not only this, in the same text he describes worship with the articles of worship as impure.
Generally, in Jaina tradition penance-dominated ceremonies are related to the enhancement of spiritual qualities and control on demonic outbursts, by eradication of the karma-obstacles. The aim of devotion to Jina or omniscient and Jina-worship related ceremonies also is the individual's own spiritual growth rather than only mundane achievements and removal of obstructions and obstacles in life. A Jaina aspirant clearly keeps in mind that all worships and prayers, eulogies, praises and invocations of Jina are only for one's own self-realization and achievement of one's own pure and inner qualities of the self.
The proclamation of Jaina tradition is 'Vande Tadguna Labdhaye' i.e. the aim of salutation is to achieve the qualities of the omniscient or the perfect soul. Essentially speaking our soul and the soul of Jina are alike. Infact, the achievement of the qualities of the perfect soul means only the realization of one's owns self. Thus, basically Jaina ceremonies are meant for self-purification and self-realization. In Jaina ceremonies most of the mantras and passages are meant to make us aware of the essential nature of the worshipped or they are meant to inspire us to get liberated from the destructive tendencies in us.
Though Jaina rituals by their basic nature are spiritual, but it is a natural weakness of human beings that they want toachieve mundane happiness and comforts with the medium of religion
93 Jainism and its History