Lighthouse

Author(s): Udayvallabhvijay
Publisher: Pragna Prabodh Parivar

Page 95

Many countries in the world have joined this drive. However, this is too small an effort like taking a crocin tablet to treat cancer. Still this effort has received praise everywhere as a supporter of environment. Before we discuss some aspects of the life of a Jain sadhu, let us evaluate the ritual of samayik from a new angle. What is samayik? Even a foreigner who has no inkling of religious rituals can be made to understand samayik by an intellectual definition, which is - a total stoppage of use of vehicle and electricity for one hour. This can be considered as a stricter observance of Earth Hour in a new version. Earth Hour does not restrict use of vehicles and electricity. It is only abstaining for one hour in a year from unnecessary lights. A Jain shravak who does two samayiks every day (each one lasting 48 minutes) abstains for 212 days in a month and an entire month in one year, from vehicles and electricity. Compare this with just one hour in one year in the Earth Hour programme! Those intellectuals who experience great satisfaction of contributing to the world's wellbeing by abstaining from electricity only for just one hour in a year would no doubt bow to the ritual of samayik. Just one minute! Samayik is not just an effort towards mitigating climate change. It is a great religious ritual aimed at attaining stability for the soul and also a vow not to indulge in any sin. Thus, the spiritual gain of this ritual is beyond any value being put to it. A young child asked his father, “what happens if the Sun does not rise?" Father replied, "the electricity bill will rise". Though partly correct, this answer doesn't put true value to the contribution of the Sun. However, a child is incapable of
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Lighthouse