Jainism Eternal and Universal Path for Enlightenment

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari
Publisher: Research Institute of Scientific Secrets from Indian Oriental Scriptures Ahmedabad

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Jainism : The Eternal and Universal path for Enlightenment
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same coin. One really does not need much to survive and possession is a bandh, a kind of hurdle in spiritual progress. Again, aparigrah (or non-hoarding) should be practiced at various levels; Possessing only those things which are needed and minimizing one's requirement is only the first step. At a deeper level, when one realizes that all the souls are one, and the whole of the universe is manifestation of the Self, the whole universe belongs to him. It becomes meaningless to possess anything, much less steal it, if the whole universe belongs to one. If one is indulging in stealing, the one thought which should come to mind is that if the same thing is stolen from him, how much hurt will he feel. According to laws of Karma, if one steals something from others, the same is bound to happen to him one day or the other. This is reason enough to refrain from stealing. Not for the fear of loss, but the main reason to refrain from excessive possession and stealing is that they bind one very tightly to mohaniya karma. The Essentials:
Once a seeker has decided that the path of the Mok-a is to be pursued, his attitude towards himself and others changes and he becomes inclined to practice the five Mahivrats. For a true seeker, the five Mah'vrats mentioned above, are to be observed life long but it is difficult to practice them rigorously due to various reasons we encounter in our daily life. It is therefore essential to review our behaviour and correct it. For this reasone a few daily rituals are prescribed as “Essentials" ( vashyak). These rituals include sim yik and pratikraman. Sim?yik is a word derived from samaya which means state of equanimity. One must sit in a stable, motionless posture and meditate or devote time for dharma-dhy?n. It entails physical control of body accompanied by mental control, seeking forgiveness for any violations of any mah vrats or for any hurt caused to any living being. It is prescribed to be practiced for 48 minutes, a muhurt determined from a day of 24 hours divided in 30 parts based on biorhythms, but one can mentally stay in that mode, while conducting other duties, as long as one desires.
Pratikraman (returning to self) is usually performed in morning or evening, withdrawing your energy inwards from various activities performed during the night and day and asking for forgiveness for any acts of commission and omission. It is essentially opposite or reverse of kraman, meaning attack.
In both these activities seeking mangal (well being) of every one and seeking forgiveness from those who have been hurt by your actions are the main objectives. This helps dissolving in 'n 'varniya and darfan varniya karmas.