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Q38. What are the twelve vratas (vows of a house holder)? A38. The vratas consists of five anuvratas, three gun vratas and four vows. Five anuyratas are the principles of Panchsheel, already discussed before. For a house holder they are to be practiced with rigidity as practically consistent and as possible with their life activities.
Three Guna Vratas - 1. Digvrata, 2. Bhog-upabhog-parimana, 3. Anarthadanda-viraman. All of these vratas put limitations to movements, enjoyments and violence which may have to be undertaken in active life.
Four vows of Spiritual education - 1. Samayika 2. Pratikramana 3. Desavakasika, 4. Poshadha. The first two are for meditation, review of daily activities and prayers. The third is for limiting material activities and the fourth is for the retirement as a monk. The first two may be taken as one in which case the fourth would be Atithisamvibhaga which is for donations.
Samayika is the most important out of these. It is principally a process of meditation which calms all nerves and prepares one for spiritual progress. Q39. What is the place of prayer in Jainism? What is the Navakar, its importance, and the most striking feature? A39. When it is pointed out that the Jainism does not believe in any outside agency such as personal or impersonal God which decides the Soul's destiny, and that everything happens by the automatic operation of Karma mechanism, a question which naturally arises, “is there a scope for a prayer in Jainism?”
The answer to this question is, there is full scope for prayers but these prayers are of different types and qualities. These should not be the prayers which ask for any favor for material or spiritual gains in return for worship.
Tirthankaras are worshipped in the same manner as all Siddhas are worshipped. This is not because they are expected to bestow favors, but because they are the liberated souls who have developed the pure quality of their souls and who, as such are entitled to the respect of all those who are at a lower level of spiritual development. They are worshipped because they are the path makers and path finders. They are worshipped because their blessings; like the blessings of all liberated souls belonging. to any order or belief, would enable us to develop our own power to struggle and thereby to shed our Karmic bondage. Blessings will be theirs but efforts will be ours. If they are expected to show any favor, it is only the favor of pointing out the path which they have found to obtain salvation. In short, a Jain prayer which is consistent with Jain philosophy is not a prayer to get any favor in return nor is a prayer which
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