________________
100 : Śramaņa, Vol 61, No. 3 July-September 10
by passions and longings for external objects. It is an individual's realization out of his self contemplation that "If I have gone astray from the right track, it is time for me to go back to the original right path." This is a realization with confidence and courage along with a feeling of regret and repentance for having left the right path, with a resolve for not leaving the right path. Pratikramana is like maintaining a diary on a daily basis. It is a clear scientific, systematic, analytical process of self-examination. It is a process of invoking one's conscience. Infact the individual is so vigilant and alert that he enumerates all possible deviations and transgressions of his basic principles of morality, the vows or the precepts of nonviolence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy or chastity and nonpossession that he has taken as a monk or as a lay householder. He systematically advances after taking an account of his slips and short comings towards his ethical and spiritual progress and resolves to make a fresh beginning of climbing the ethical and spiritual ladder again.
It is important to note that Pratikramana is not only an exercise of inner self-purification of the individual, it has great social implication also. That is the individual's relation to society, not just the human society but the entire living world. It is reflected in the practice of Kșamāpanā. This is succinctly expressed in the two lines of Āvaśyaka Sūtra.
khāmeni savve jīvā, savve jīvā khamantu mel mitti me savva bhūyesu, veram majjham na keņai //
meaning I forgive all beings, may all-beings forgive me, I have friendship with all beings and enmity with none.
These lines are not just formal announcements of friendship with all and enmity with none but are practically meant for admitting and re-inforcing the vows the individual has taken, which are the nerve centre of Jaina ethics. The true spirit of a Jaina is reflected when every Jaina approaches everyone else without any bias or hesitation and asks for forgiveness. The spirit is to forgive and forget. This is the initiation of new bonds of friendship and invigorating the old ones.
