Book Title: Jainism The Cosmic Vision
Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: UK Mahavir Foundation London

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Page 118
________________ Kshamapana twenty-four hours, in the fortnightly pratikramana, forgiveness is asked for offences made in the fortnight, and in the chomasi pratikramana, forgiveness is asked for offences made during four months. But sometimes anger lasts for a year. Samvastsari pratikramana is for this. Forgiveness saves us, attachment kills us. If forgiveness expresses itself in purely good (sattvaguni) sense, enmity and opposition do not rise. But the forgiveness given in rajoguni and tamoguni sense does not purify the soul. Forgiveness in sattvika sense destroys innumerable sins and prevents the inflow of new karma in future. If during the period of one year enmity or jealousy towards someone has come to arise, he should be asked forgiveness. If we miss it, the sin is cemented on the slate of Karma. In that case samyakatva is lost and mithyatva comes to arise. That is why the duty of forgiveness on the day of the greatest festival (parvadhiraja) assumes great significance. That is why Shrimad Rajchandra introduces forgiveness as the grand gateway to emancipation. According to the Jain Religion, excellent Kshama is the first of the ten prescribed duties. Forgiveness has different categories such as upkarakshama, apakara-kshama, vipaka-kshama, etc. All these categories of forgiveness are found in our life, but he, who rises to vachanakshama and then dharma-kshama or sahaja-kshama, easily attains emancipation. The Buddhist religion shows different attainments of excellence and says that he, who adopts the quality of forgiveness and develops it to its highest degree, easily attains emancipation. Whom do we call the Tirthankara ? We call him Kshamashramana. when we go to temple we say, “I wish 101 Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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