The Jain 1988 07

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Samaj Europe

Page 46

The promise of articles in Hindi as well as the two main languages of the journal was borne out in the first issue with a page and a half near the end, reproduced from a neatly handwritten original, for Hindi typesetting presented a problem at that time. Most of the English section of this first issue was taken up by a group of short summaries of aspects of Jainism which had been prepared for the Leicester Inter-Faith Festival and which fulfilled the intention of presenting Jainism to the wider world. The second issue appeared on time in September. (Regrettably it has not always been possible to keep to the quarterly schedule of publication: the work is entirely voluntary and carried out by very busy people). Certain features were to run for several issues. 'Jains as People', a series of potted biographies, started of with an account of Acharya Labdisurishwarji. In the next issue the subject was a layman, Seth Mansukhbhai Bhagubhai of Ahmedabad, a prominent businessman who died in 1913. 'Jainism through the Alphabet' started off in this issue: it was to continue with dictionary definitions of commonly-used terms until it reached the end of the alphabet with YAPANIYA and YATRA in January 1986. Here is a sample from the May 1985 issue:
JAINISM THROUGH THE ALPHABET 8 Here are some more explanations of the words which can puzzle people reading about Jainism. Namaskara Mantra: the most widely-used Jain prayer, also known as the Panca Namaskara. Beginning 'Namo arihantanam...', it is a formula of praise to the enlightened souls, liberated souls, religious leaders, religious teachers and to all mendicants.
Nirgrantha: name used for the Jains at the time of Mahavira and in the early centuries afterwards, unattached, without possessions.
Nigoda: a very tiny living being, the lowest form of life.
Nirjara: the shedding off of accumulated karma
THE
Jain_
particles from the soul, which is a necessary stage towards final liberation.
Nirvana: another word for Moksa (Moksha), final and complete liberation of the soul.
Om: an untranslatable syllable frequently used at the beginning of Jain (and other Indian) prayers. The deep reverberating sound has a spiritual significance rather like the 'amen' at the end of Christian prayers.
Panca Kalyana: the five ('panca' or 'panch') auspicious events in Mahavira's life, conception, birth, renunciation, omniscience, final liberation. The events are frequently presented in dramatic form in Jain ceremonies.
Panca Namaskara: see Namaskara Mantra above.
Papa: demerit, unfavourable karma, opposed to Punya.
Paramanu: the smallest particle of matter, atom.
Parsva: the twenty-third Tirthankara, who lived 250 years before Mahavira. His emblem is a snake and he is depicted with a canopy of snakes behind his head.
Parvan: holy day or festival.
Paryusana (or Paryushan): the eight-day period of fasting and other religious exercises, the most important Jain festival, falling in August or September of the western calendar.
Pratikramana: formal confession of the things one has done wrong, often in the presence of a monk.
Pratima: the eleven stages by which a lay person gradually gives up worldly things. Pudgala: matter, the material non-living constituents of the universe.
Puja: worship or prayer. For a Jain this means reverence and praise of the holy beings, not asking favours of them.
Punya: merit, favourable karma,see Papa above.
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