Book Title: Jains Today in World
Author(s): Pirre Paul AMIEL
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

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Page 211
________________ 170: JAINS TODAY IN THE WORLD simple or fragmentary, be they in the presence of a statue of a Jina or his image. All, in a Jain "dravya-püja”, must be understood as having symbolic characters. Before proceeding, the adept (man or woman) must, as we have said, cleanse the body of all impurity. For that, he (she) must take a bath or a shower and put on clean clothes. On the way to the temple, the adept must also reject all thought relating to daily problems or worldly affairs. Before entering the sanctuary, the adept must take off foot wares and when crossing the threshold say a first “nisihi” that means he (or she) promises to not think, speak or act in regard to worldly affairs during the “pūja". He (she) may ring the bell at the entrance of the temple, to symbolize the mark of his (her) presence. If a “pujāri" has prepared the necessary things, the adept finds, on a little table or on a tray, a pot full of boiled water and on another a little cup full of ghee with a wick to practice the "ãrati". On the side are, according to the obedience: rice, flowers, pieces of coconut, almonds, sandal paste, saffron, incense sticks etc. If there is no “pujāri”, the adept brings the elements he (she) will use and puts them on the table or on the tray. If the adept is a Svetāmbara, a man leaves his town clothes in a cloakroom and put a white “dhoti”, a white cloth on his chest and in front of his mouth a piece of linen or uses the end of the cloth worn on the upper part of the body to cover the mouth. He may also put a "tilaka" on his forehead, with sandal paste, to open the point of knowledge, according to an Indian tradition. To begin, the adept does an “añjali'i.e. joins the hands in front of the forehead facing the statue in the "garbha-grha" and says “Namo Jiņāņam!" (I salute respectfully the Jina!). If the configuration of the temple permits the rite, he (she) then performs a threefold circumambulation (pradaksiņā) of the statue kept to the right hand, to call to mind the three jewels" of right vision, right knowledge and Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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