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Kshamapana
खामेमि सव्वे जीया, सव्ये जीवा खमंतु मे | मित्ती मे सव्वभूएसु वेरं मझ न केणई ।।
[1 ask all sentients to forgive me my misdoings. May all sentients forgive me my offences. I love all sentients. I bear animosity towards none.]
Paryushana, the greatest Jain religious festival, gives us this message : We should speak words of forbearance and direct a loving glance towards all.
After seven days of penance, rises the Samvatsari day, the day of accomplishment.
The seven days of austerities and the purification of the soul culminate in asking for forgiveness.
After practising penance, charity, introspection and pratikramana for seven days, the hearts of the devotees become clear like the skies : cloudless and clean, as if touched with rainbow colours after heavy rains. The rainbow lines of lust, anger, pride and conceit now do not spread their charms to
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Kshamapana obstruct them. As new waters pour themselves into rivers, mud and mire are washed away. Similarly, as the spirit of nonviolence (ahimsa), non-absolutism (anekanta) and non-possession (aparigraha) rises from life at the time of Samvatsari Pratikramana, the waters of forgiveness rise up.
Some people stand on the shore. They get only shells and pebbles from the surface. They have no courage or desire to dive into deep waters. The austerities of all those who do not dive into the waters of penitence, of generosity, to be immersed and purified, bear no fruits.
They truly propitiate who forgive and ask forgiveness.
Today every home, every family is ablaze. Some minds are angry and some hearts are offended. Jealousies sting here and animosities burn there. Do we wish to keep the fire burning all through life or receive the healing balm of the waters of forgiveness?
The decision is to be taken today. That is the only justification for celebrating the festival. Bhagwan Mahavira has told an ingenious story of a man who lost nine hundred and ninety-nine rupees for a cowrie : "Once upon a time a man went abroad to earn money. He worked hard and earned a thousand rupees. He set out on his return journey in good company. He put 999 rupees in a long, narrow purse and tied it round his waist and kept one rupee apart.
He changed the rupee for cowries. He decided to meet all expenses on the way home with these hundred cowries. After a long journey, he was now nearing home and his village was only a short distance away. He then sat down to take his meal. Through negligence, he dropped a cowrie there. He resumed
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