Making Jain Values Accessible - Mindset

Q31. How to make Jain values more accessible, practical and meaningful in the context of our current world?

This is a question that the parents, Jain pathshala teachers and Jain communities across the globe are holding and contemplating. In service to this question, we would like to offer a series of few short articles with an invitation to our readers to share thoughts and insights in the comments section.

We are living in an era of information overload, distractions abound and the environment is more volatile, uncertain and complex than ever before. For our current and next generation, one of the ways we can be of service is to equip them with right set of spiritual knowledge and practical tools to navigate life skillfully, remain grounded and thrive.

Our intention with these articles is to make ancient wisdom and core values/principles of Jainism more understandable, relevant, applicable, and use the language that resonates with this generation.

The first article in this series will focus on Mindset.

 

Mindset

First of all, what is a mindset? We see mindset as assumptions, beliefs, mental attitude or inclination that influence our thoughts, words and action. Mindset is formed by the information we take in and our experiences.

Our mindset and our world have a symbiotic relation, i.e., mindset shapes the world and the world shapes our mindset. However, many a times mindset is still in its infancy, it might be incomplete and/or limiting for our own growth. We want to be aware of such mindsets so we can shift them.

The concept of exploring and shifting mindset is very well rooted in the key principles of Jainism, which are anekantavada (the multiple attributes of reality) and syadavada (the conditional description of a certain attribute). These principles give Jainism a way to inject a breath of fresh life and self-adjusting approach to varying contexts, and guard itself from dogmas setting in. It allows current and future generations to interpret and practice Jainism within the context of the environment, society, culture and times that they are living in.

In this article, we will explore three foundational mindsets that help shape our relation to Jainism:

• Purpose of Practicing Jainism and how intent and clarity can become a guiding force for our practice.

• Confidence from Openness and Our Own Experience can build a strong foundation for insights and transformation.

• Integrating and Embodying Jain Values in our everyday life. Recognizing the importance of practices and integrating those practice into our routine activities as a life long journey.

Purpose of Practicing Jainism

Let’s pause and think about what our mindset about the purpose is when it comes to practicing religion. Why do we practice Jainism? 

Victor Frankl, in his magnum opus "Man's Search for Meaning" wrote this "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how".

At the most fundamental level, the purpose of practicing religion is to realize and experience the original qualities of our soul such as peace, joy, love, compassion, equanimity, happiness in everyday moments of our daily life.

It is frequently referenced in our scriptures that two major barriers to getting closer to our original nature are: Mithyatva and Kashayas. And these are often the root cause of all of our suffering as well.

• Mithyatva or ignorance is absence of wisdom, wrong understanding, wrong belief or wrong views of reality. And we might end up holding wrong beliefs with such absolute conviction and it is not changeable even by compelling counter argument or proof to the contrary. Ignorance and wrong beliefs gives rise to kashayas and leads to suffering in us and others around us.

• Kashayas are unwholesome states of mind like anger, ego, deceit, greed, aversion, resentment, hatred, which if not taken care of, can result in unskillful thoughts, speech and action, which causes all kinds of suffering for others and ourselves.

So, as stated in scriptures the purpose of practicing Jainism is to remove mithyatva and kashayas by being mindful of all activities of mind, speech and body.

Once we gain clarity about this purpose, it can help guide our life choices, our way of being and result in sense of joy and meaning. It can also provide direction in times of high stress and difficulties.

Next, we need to think about how does this purpose manifest in our daily life and what are some conditioning that might help guide us in our everyday choices. Few examples below:

• Choose compassion and love in our thoughts, speech and behavior, in all situations.

• Choose to eliminate negative energy.

• Cultivate deeper understanding of our-self and our experiences. 

• Use our suffering as an opportunity for growth and inner transformation. 

• Respond from a place of strength, instead of reacting to a situation.

To summarize, when we are intentional about purpose of what we are doing and why, then it provides clarity and it anchors us in the direction we want to go. We can integrate that purpose in all aspects of our life and it gives us inner strength.

Confidence from Openness and Own Experience

What is our mindset about religious information/knowledge? Do we believe that one must not question anything? Is it considered mere ignorance if we disagree/don't believe in what religious authorities say? How much we do trust in our own experience?

There is a sutra in Jain Agam Das-vaikalik: “Padhamum Jnanm Tao Daya“. This sutra means first knowledge/understanding and then conduct or action. It emphasizes that knowledge is the cornerstone and a means to empower us.

There another quote by Bhagwan Mahavira that urges us use our own logic, reasoning and learn from our own experiences and not follow blindly by faith alone.

Information and knowledge are important but it is our experience that makes that knowledge our own and gives us the confidence in that knowledge. There is nothing like experience, it is our experience with the knowledge leads to insights and those insights transforms our suffering. If we keep practicing on the surface then they are mechanical activities without giving us desirable results.

When we put teaching of Mahavir Swami into practice and if we can see for ourselves that it results into more peace, joy, happiness, patience, better relationships and bliss, then a sustainable confidence is born. Such confidence can build our capacity to transform, heal and realize true nature of our soul. When faith comes from our own experience and we are not relying on someone or something outside of ourselves then that can bring a lot of happiness and strength.

These teachings are urging us to not become dogmatic in our thinking or behavior. They are guiding us to be more curious, open, ask questions to learn, and be mindfully aware of our experiences.

Integrating and Embodying Jain Values

For the last foundational mindset in this article, let’s reflect on the way we approach practicing Jainism. For example, in case of a physical health problem, if we address the problem on the surface and if it keeps coming back, then our natural inclination would be to get to the root cause to fix it. And that could mean adopting a new way of life. Similarly, when it comes to practicing Jainism, is our intention to make it our path, integrate into our everyday routine activities or are we looking for quick fixes only in times of suffering?

When we choose the Jain values, principles and teachings as our path then it must be deeply integrated in our daily activities and become our way of life regardless of what we are doing, where we are or who we are with. Our way of being, thoughts, speech, actions must be consistently driven from same set of values.

Diligence in our daily practices is the key to be on the path and bring about inner transformation. There are concrete and essential practices/rituals recommended for laypeople in Jainism. However, we do need to be mindful of our practices and its outcome.

• If our rituals/practices are such that it strengthens our values of compassion, non-judgment, love, non-discrimination, forgiveness, honesty then they are the right kind.
• If for some reason our rituals/activities are giving rise to ego, violence, judgment, craving, anger and discrimination, then it is not right kind, no matter how we try to justify it.

We often seek refuge in religion during times of suffering and pain, which is wonderful. But when that suffering ends or reduces, do we go back to our old habits until the next suffering occurs?

The best time to practice and contemplate is when things are going well in life. It is during that time we have more capacity within in us to cultivate our inner strength and gain insights.

For many of us, our lives are so busy and full of distractions that it becomes difficult for us to be on this path. In our current times so many of us are experiencing anxiety, fear, conflict, and loneliness, it is more important than ever to find ways to cultivate practices to walk this path, no matter the outside circumstances. We see in our religion there are monks/nuns/laypeople who devote their entire life on this journey.

Adopting these practices on a daily basis as a life time companion, it gets infused in every nook and corner of our life and becomes a way of life rather than a “thing” that we do. And as we walk on this path, it is equally important to reflect on whether we are on the right path, whether it is working or not and what markers can be seen as sign of encouragement to continue the path.

We can think about some personal aspirations or set goals for self-assessment. Something that we want to see improved for ourselves. We don’t necessarily want to assess against ultimate goals like nirvana or eliminating cycles of birth and death but instead think about small and big situations in our everyday life. For example:

• Is our speech more loving and compassionate?

• Are we able to listen to others without judgement?

• Are we becoming less reactive to other people’s behavior or situations?
• Are our relationships with our immediate family members and community harmonious?
• Are we able to notice kashayas arising within us? Are we able to take care of it without being hijacked by them?
• Are we able to cultivate joy within us, without external stimulant?
• Are we able to navigate life challenges/suffering skillfully and grow from them?
• Are we confident on our knowledge and practices to withstand external pressures?

The ancient wisdom and practical tools in our current times can help cultivate our way of being such that we see fruits of our practices on daily basis. Fruits such as lasting happiness within and around, unwavering peace, compassion, acceptance for all, inner strength. And in challenging life situations, we have the resources readily available to help us be calm, stable, strong and respond from a place of strength and compassion.

The way we are living today is the building block for tomorrow. Integrating spiritual and mindfulness practices in our everyday routine and ordinary activities, can positively influence all aspects of our life as a layperson. An aspiration to make Jainism a lifelong path, instead of quick fix, can be start of a beautiful journey to generate peace and happiness in everyday life.

To summarize, a clarity of purpose can become the driving force for our choices and when we trust in the knowledge acquired through our own experience then we develop an unwavering confidence and valuable insights to transform our life. We need to agree that just understanding it intellectually is not enough. We need to put it onto practice. Stay tuned for the next article which will focus on practices for cultivating this mindset in everyday life.

 

Dealing with bugs or pest infestation in our homes

Q28. As Jains, how do we deal with bugs or pest infestation in our homes?

We are all faced with this kind of situation in our daily lives. When we encounter infestations like ants, cockroaches, flies, termites, mice, mosquitoes, etc. around us and roaming about in our houses, multiplying every day, infesting our food products, causing health issues, biting children and so on, then we find ourselves in a dilemma and it creates inner conflict within us.  

We do not wish to cause harm to any living being, yet we are faced with situations when our actions could cause harm to bugs and pests, and not taking any action is not an option. Additionally, inaction could end up resulting in bigger infestation and more violence.

Navigating such situations is not easy. But that's when understanding the essence of principle of Ahimsa, especially on how it applies to us as laypeople, and its practical application in real life scenarios becomes very critical. As laypeople, we know that our lives cannot survive without some form of violence, so our goal is to resort to minimum violence for healthy survival.

In this article, we will share some scriptural reference that provides perspectives on the importance Jainism places on non-violence towards all living beings, and we will also share some critical nuances that can help create awareness within us as we arrive at a decision to tackle the situation.

We have addressed many practical questions related on Ahimsa on our blog but for this question we are offering an approach for all of us to share our experience and learn from each other. We have a form towards the end of the article that invites you to share your approach so that others can learn from it and our hope is that this collective wisdom will be of service to our community.

 

Jain Scriptural Review

In Jainism, we find numerous scriptural references related for Ahimsa. The Acharanga Sutra talks about the conduct and behavior appropriate for ascetic life. The Yoga Sutra explains Ahimsa vow for laypeople, and we have talked about in many of previous Ahimsa articles. The Sutrakritanga Sutra deals with the question of non-violence and Jain metaphysics.

As we think deeply about these scriptures, it continuous to instils values in us to have utmost reverence for all living beings and live our life with that awareness. It is also important to understand that the information is not meant to paralyze us from carrying out our duties or not take appropriate action when faced with a situation that requires action.

Additionally, Tattvarth Sutra provides a very meaningful framework that can help us frame our mindset such that we can be better informed to take appropriate decisions. We will look at the some of the aspects from Tattvartha Sutra like our way of being (bhaav/reflections) and means employed to take an action in this article.

As we can see, there are no commandments or instructions, instead we must know the principles, understand it, and apply it in our current life situation using our wisdom.

Now, let’s talk about the nuances that we need to be mindful of as we try to figure out what to do

 

So, how do we deal with it?

When our home has been infested then we must act and take necessary steps to prevent such situation in future. When we carry out any action, we need to mindful of the means employed and our inner way of being (bhaav).

What we mean by our inner way of being is introspecting our intention and feeling (bhaav) associated with our action. When we carry out an action with negative energy, intense passion, or feeling of anger, frustration, or revenge then it leads to more Kashayas within us and results in more suffering.

When we are faced with a situation where we are required to take an action then we must do our due diligence and employ the means that causes minimum violence. This requires patience, understanding and willingness to do research.

As you navigate on what action to take, we would like to offer few thoughts for consideration:

Immediate Actions / Reactive

When confronted with a situation where we face presence of ants, mosquitoes, bugs, rats, etc. then consider following aspects as you decide:

-        Try to find alternate non-violent forms of treatment or natural options to remove the infestation

-        If that doesn’t work, then look for options that are least harmful. For example, when considering which chemical to spray do some research on which chemical has least negative implication.

-        Also, consider effect of the option on the ecosystem as a whole. The ecosystem is a fine balance between various life forms, interconnected with each other. Toxic chemicals disturb this balance, by either significantly reducing population of particular species in the chain, or more often causing harm to several species in the chain.

Retrospective

After the situation has been addressed, we want to take time and reflect on what caused this problem. Understand that it could be our ignorance or carelessness that led to this of kind of problem. It could be anything from not maintaining cleanliness, leakage, lose pipes, or leaving food outside.

Preventive

Once the immediate need has been addressed and we have taken some retrospective time, we must focus on how to proactively prevent such situations in future.

-        We need to determine what actions we need to take to stop the infestation at the source, for example, we must seal the entry points. And as we do that it can help us prevent same or similar situations in future.

-        Additionally, we should also focus on creating awareness about non-violent methods in our community like teach such non-violent methods in our Pathshalas and donate toward collating and distributing research in this area. A part of jeevdaya funds collected in temples can be used for this activity.

 

Collective Emergence

We have collected some resources below with practical solutions that we feel are well aligned to Jain values that we have shared in the reference below. However, many of us have faced this kind of situations and employed various alternative non-violent solutions. We would like to invite you share your experiences in service to others using this form. You can share the situation you faced, actions that worked for you, proactive/preventive steps that you suggest, region you belong to, and any other recommendations. 

You can click here to view the collective wisdom from community.

Summary

The literature review points us to understand, that Bhagwan Mahavir said that all species feel pain, and causing unnecessary pain to any life-form should be avoided. While this may be an ideal state, as travellers on the journey bound by certain attachments, we have to accept that day-to-day life is impossible without some form of violence. Confronting ants, mosquitoes, bugs, insects, etc. in our households is one such situation. Instead of being casual about it and adopting violent means immediately, we should seek information and prefer non-violent alternatives, use violent means as a last resort and to the minimum extent possible, while continuing to educate ourselves on alternatives.

As early animal rights activist, Henry Salt, said: 'We would much rather be inconsistently humane than consistently cruel.'

 

Resources

Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring

John Waddel’s book “But You Kill Ants”

Purvi Shah’s video with tips for “Detoxing Your Home in an Eco-Friendly Way”

Jain View on Activism

Q25. As a Jain, should we get involved in issues related to social, humanitarian, political, economic, or environmental reform? How should we approach activism for such issues?

This is an overarching question and so relevant for the current times. There are so many issues we are facing as a society and we clearly see a need for all of us to do our part to lessen any negative impact, relieve suffering and contribute in whatever positive ways we can. At times there is passivity about getting involved when a particular issue doesn’t directly impact one’s own self, and we miss out on opportunities to practice and promote compassion for our interconnected wholeness.  

The purpose of addressing this question is to create awareness and provide a logical thought process that might help us decide on various aspects of activism like – does being a Jain allow us to be an activist on any issue? Which causes should we get involved with? and how can we go about bringing the change?

What is Activism?

First, let’s define the word "activism” since it has many connotations associated with it. Wikipedia defines activism as follows:

Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct, or intervene in social, political, economic, or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good.

So, when we think about it, activism is born from compassion and the desire to end suffering of other living beings. Activism is a form of service. However, Activism gets negative connotation when it is carried out in a brute force way, extremist view, or imposing approach.

For this conversation, we are talking about activism where the perceived changes and approach are aligned with the core Jain values and principles. 

When we reflect on Mahavir Swami’s life, we can see that he was very progressive in his thinking, a reformist, and an activist for spiritual progress of mankind. There are also examples of activists in recent history like Gandhiji, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela whose approach to make changes in society were aligned with core values like non-violence, compassion, and equality.

First, let’s talk about should we get involved in activism as a Jain?

Should we get involved in activism as a Jain?

That’s like asking – I’m seeing suffering around me and should I have compassion for other living beings? Should I have a desire to relieve other living beings from suffering?

It would be a dire misrepresentation of Jain religion to say that we shouldn't get involved. The core Jain values such as Ahimsa and Compassion urges us to do whatever we can for other living beings.

We can see compassion and ahimsa at the forefront in Mahavir Swami’s life stories beginning with while he was in his mother’s womb. While in mother’s womb he felt that his movements are causing discomfort to his mother and so he stopped moving in the womb to comfort her. However, when he realized that lack of movements caused even more concerns for his mother, he started moving. This story emphasis the importance of understanding pain of other living beings and doing whatever we can at that point to relieve the pain.

As he delved deep into the field of spirituality, he wished to live the life of a monk. His parents were saddened and asked him to renunciate the world only after their death. Mahavir started his journey to monkhood only after their death. For about a year before starting the monkhood journey, he gave away all his possessions, gold, and money to the needy people his kingdom. These life events stories underscore the importance of serving others with whatever we have.

Mahavir Swami did a lot of donation as a Prince, but he did donation even after taking Diksha. Mahavir Swami was meditating in the forest and a poor beggar came to him and told him his painful story. After listening to his story, Mahavir Swami gave him a half piece of the only cloth that he had. This teaches us that we should never miss an opportunity to help others with whatever little we have.

After he realized Keval Gyan he traveled from city to city all over India to promote the Jain way of life. He gave sermons two or three times a day for 30 years out of compassion. So that people can live a spiritual and satisfied life.

When we reflect on all the events from Mahavir Swami’s life, we realize that he was guided by selfless altruism. He teaches us that we are not separate from others. With our sense of interconnectedness, our inner peace and happiness are found in state when we evolve to serve other living beings. We don't have to wait to realize keval gyan to serve others and we can serve from where we are and in whatever capacity we can.

In many situations, inactivity or neutrality is an endorsement of the status quo, which could mean continued harm, injustice, or inequality. In such situations, we need to have a position or organize efforts in a non-violent, peaceful, and constructive way to engage the opposite viewpoint. And this is also entirely in line with the spirit of Anekantvad.

There are many forms of suffering in the world like social inequalities, economic inequalities, racism, human rights, animal rights, environmental issues and the list goes on.

So, the next question is what should we get involved in?

What should we get involved in?

It depends on each individual, their personality, their interests, their calling, their knowledge and what motivates them. There are various forms of suffering around us, and we need to determine where we can be of service.

As we can see from Mahavir Swami and other tirthankaras stories, there was a lot of suffering during that time such as violence towards animals, women were treated unfairly, many other forms of inequalities. And Mahavir Swami chose spiritual activism through the spreading of religion.

Activism doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be something major or drastic. It can also be small and meaningful activities in our daily life. For example, there are situations when violence or suffering might not be very apparent in the food items we eat, products we use, what we buy, where we buy from, environmental footprint or things we accumulate. And in such situations doing the required research to consciously avoid or limit actions that causes harm is a form of activism. Please see “Is Ignorance Acceptable / Justifiable in Jainism?” article that talks in more detail about how all the choices we make have an impact and remaining ignorant is not an option.

 

 

As we think about activism, there are key perspectives about activism and politics that we need to take into consideration. Activism and politics are different, and they serve different purposes. Let’s talk about the differences between the two as we need them both to affect any real changes. 

How is activism separate from politics?

This is an extremely important, nuanced question - and must be clearly understood or else it will be conflated. Activism necessarily includes a mission-driven approach towards upliftment of the downtrodden or the disadvantaged, speaking up for the marginalized, but doesn’t necessarily involve politics or public policy. Of course, to enact policy, one has to consider political considerations, and it can often get difficult to untangle the two when it gets misunderstood for activism. 

Perhaps an example will help illustrate. In the summer of 2020, there were widespread protests and marches -- “activism” -- surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd. These conversations were essentially about offering basic rights and equality to the African American community - and encompassed a myriad of issues, like educational access, healthcare disparities, income inequality, representation in corporate and civic governance, and criminal justice reform. Public policy (and politics) are the tools to achieve reforms. It will be the Mayors of cities for example that will have control over how much budget to allocate towards public safety.

But essentially, the “act” of activism is rooted in a movement of equality and representation, or speaking up in solidarity with the Black community, not in political considerations. 

As we learn about various causes, we need to do our due diligence to ensure that whatever we decide to get involved with is aligned with core Jain values and principles. So, now the next question is what our approach to activism should be when we see injustice or suffering around us, whether it is directed towards us or others.

 

How should we approach activism?

Activism can be performed in many ways like campaigns, rallies, protests, hunger strikes, boycotts, petitions, street marches, sit-ins to name a few. 

 

Whatever action we choose to take in support of a cause we must always stay within the boundaries of the law.

 

In addition, from spiritual perspective all our actions should be aligned with the core Jain principles: Ahimsa, Anekantvad, Compassion, Aparigraha, Satya, Asteya.

Activism can also lead to chaos or conflict, which could be a side effect of the undertaking. We need to look at conflict resolution as well as facing and handling the hardship by adopting Jain values and few guidelines like:

·        We should aim to influence, not impose.

·        We must be the change.

·        We must not let kashayas (anger, ego, greed, deceit) in any form arise within us.

·        None of our actions should be carried from an egocentric perspective, for fame, power, or any personal gains. 

·        Our actions should cause no harm. None of our actions should hurt us, others, or property.

·        We must maintain our madhyastha bhav (equanimity) as we are carrying out our actions and in all outcomes.

 

 

We must have spiritual practices and inner work discipline within us before we engage our time and energy in service to others, such that all our outward actions lead to inner transformation.

 

Few recent examples of activism by Jains:

·        Jainism: Know It, Understand It & Internalize It - This blog is a form of activism that was launched in May 2019. The purpose of this blog to deepen individuals’ understanding about Jain values/principles, create a positive and enriching experience about the religion and enhance spiritual growth. The committee has released 26 articles addressing contemporary questions faced in today’s world.

·        Jains for Justice – Jains for Justice aims to build grassroots ally ship and advance justice through a contemporary South Asian lens grounded in Jain values. The organization was founded in June 2020 by young Jains in the weeks following the heinous murder of George Floyd. Currently, Jains for Justice is organized into four workgroups: animal & environmental justice; race, caste & religion; civic engagement; and gender & sexuality.

In the past year, Jains for Justice has led nationwide drives for voter registration working in tandem with the Joe Biden for President campaign, organized awareness campaigns for plant-based foods and ethical consumption, released an open letter to the Jain community on the Black Lives Matter movement, and opened safe spaces for discussions on gender & sexuality within online spaces such as Clubhouse. You can learn more and subscribe to the monthly Jains for Justice newsletter here.

·        Ahimsak Eco Vegan Committee – As an expression of ahimsa, this committee supports, educates, and promotes vegan lifestyle - not eating, wearing, or using animal products, reduction, and elimination of activities such as material and energy overconsumption contributing to harm of all life, global climate change, and destruction of the planet.

·        VeganJains – This activity focus on the compassion and health aspects of Veganism from a Jain perspective.

 

 

In Summary…

Activism is born from compassion, desire to end suffering of other living beings and the desire to serve others. We need to do our due diligence to ensure any change and our approach to bring about that changes are aligned with the Jain values and principles. What we choose to get involved depends on our personality, interest, knowledge and what motivates us.

For all the actions we choose to take in support of a cause, we must ensure that we remain within the boundaries of the law, our activities should be aligned with core Jain principles such that it doesn't cause any harm to self or other, respect everyone, not let any kashayas arise within and we maintain our stillness. This kind of activism enhance our spiritual growth and results in inner transformation.

 

Jain Rituals - What, Why, How

Q14. Why are rituals important? How should the rituals be performed? What are some of the essential rituals?

First let's define rituals and then we will look into why and how they should be performed. We will also talk about the essential rituals for Jains.

What are rituals?

Ritual, in the religious context, is a set of activities performed to remind basic principles of the religion. They are done in accordance with religious guidelines, social customs, or normal protocols.

Rituals have a symbolic and spiritual significance to the performer. Every religion in the world has their own set of rituals. Rituals are created for the people, by the people, and are an integral part of all religions. Rituals are not meant to be some monotonous, pointless, or meaningless activities, but each ritual has a deep meaning behind it.

There are two aspects that we should consider – Dravya puja and Bhava puja.

• Dravya puja – The physical activities and recitation of sutras are called the rites and rituals. 
• Bhava Puja – The internal reflection that occurs while doing Dravya puja is known as Bhava puja.

The Dravya Puja which is the symbolic aspect must be carried out with proper internal reflection and meditation (Bhava puja) such that our spiritual progress (reduction of our vices or Kashaya) occurs. Without spiritual progress, only performing the Dravya puja has no value.

We must also ensure that we are not using any products like milk, wool, silk, peacock feathers, saffron, varakh, kasturi etc. in Dravya puja that involves significant cruelty. Please refer to the Use of Products that involves Violence / Himsa in Jain Rituals blog post for understanding the cruelty associated with these products in current times and potential alternatives.

Without knowledge and awareness, we are either in false belief, blindly following someone else, or unknowingly promoting the industries that involve cruelty towards animals and such actions result in karma bondage and limits spiritual growth. 

In summary, the internal reflection, meditation and removing mithyatva and kashayas are the goals to be attained and the rituals are the means to achieve that goal.

Why are rituals important?

Rituals are important for any religion to build a culture, strengthen their religious values, and to create a sense of community. Rituals performed with proper understanding are a must for survival of a religion.

Rituals are required and play a significant role to instill values and build up religious interest in children, youth, and future generations. 

The rituals are interwoven in the daily life of a pious Jain to help cultivate virtues like non-violence, tolerance, non-attachment, humbleness, forgiveness, straightforwardness and many more. These virtues help us in daily aspects of life and enable us to live a spiritual, joyful, and peaceful life.

Rituals done properly help us:

• Reduces our kashayas (anger, ego, greed, deceit)
• Reduces our attachment to worldly objects and physical relationships
• Increase compassion toward other living beings
• Realize true nature of the soul and ultimately lead to liberation

Rituals are intended to enable spiritual growth and serve as a reminder to reflect upon the Jain philosophies, values, and proper conduct. Rituals keep the religion alive and help imprint the religious principles into our minds.

How the rituals should be performed?

Jain Agam Das-vaikalik sutra states the following:

“Padhamum Jnanm Tao Daya.“

First knowledge (Jnan) / understanding and then conduct or action.

This one line provides the essence of how our Tirthankars envisioned the rituals should be performed. But unfortunately, at times, the rituals are performed as some repetitive or habitual activities. They become part of our programmed routine or checklist instead of spiritual experience. We end up focusing on the count or getting it done. We need to pause and ask ourselves honestly: Am I doing this ritual with the right knowledge and understanding? Am I doing this ritual with proper yoga posture, proper recitation of sutra, and meditation? Am I reflecting on how this ritual is helping me?

The rituals must be performed with the right understanding and interpretation, such that it provides spiritual benefits and an inspiring and uplifting experience. We should not carry out any ritual mechanically, blindly, or follow them as tradition without our own wisdom.

For example: The spiritual benefit of fasting is to reduce the attachment or desire towards food. If fasting or any kind of penance is just done mechanically, then it doesn’t result in spiritual benefit. After we fast, we should reflect on how our attachment to food has changed. The reduction to our attachment and getting closer to the true nature of our soul is the spiritual act and the net result of any penance.

The Jain ritual defines that the sutras are to be recited in a certain physical posture and correct pronunciation along with proper reflection in order to derive a spiritual benefit of a ritual. Both physical and internal reflection are various forms of Yoga. In general, Yoga is defined as that which connects with the soul or leads to liberation.

There are two forms of Yoga for rituals, namely:

• Kriya-Yoga includes all physical movement, activity, physical posture and recitation of sutras.
• Jnana-Yoga is the knowledge about the ritual along with proper internal reflection during its performance. It instills the feelings and thoughts as per the meaning of the ritual and absorbs it in the consciousness.

Kriya and Jnana together are critical for the proper performance of any ritual.

Practicing of any ritual starts with understanding the spiritual purpose of the rituals. Ritual must be performed with proper knowledge, understanding and reflection.

Daily Essential Jain Rituals

Jainism is a very practical religion and it helps us in every walk of life. There are several rituals in place to remind us and help us progress spiritually. One of the ways is a daily practice of six Avashyaka (essentials). Mahavir Swami introduced the six essential rituals to practice daily. There are some differences that exist between Shvetambar and Digambar traditions.

Six Essentials of Shvetämbar-Tradition

Samayik	To remain calm, undisturbed and in the state of equanimity for at least 48 minutes daily. This daily practice is intended to raise our spirituality and inner strength such that we can maintain the state of equanimity throughout the day.
Chauvisattho	To pray and remember the qualities of the 24 Tirthankaras. This daily practice is intended to appreciate the Tirthankaras virtues and emulate those in our daily life.
Vandana	To respect Ascetics and provide food (Gochari) and other items like clothes and medicine. This daily practice is intended to cultivate respect, humility, and selfless service.
Pratikraman	To reflect, repent, and re-approach upon wrong thoughts, words and actions and ask for forgiveness for the same. This daily practice keeps us constantly awake and aware about our way of living life.
Kayotsarga	To stay motionless for a varying length of time (Meditation). During Kayotsarga one is neither in the past nor in the future. This daily practice helps us concentrate on the true nature of our soul. Self-awareness is in the present and hence, it can help detach ourselves from worldly attachments.
Pratyakhyana	To take vows to renounce certain activities which can reduce the influx of karmas. This daily practice is intended to discipline ourselves, to control our desires and prepare us for bigger renunciation.

Six Essentials of Digambar-Tradition

Devapujä	Paying respect and appreciating the virtues of the Tirthankaras
Gurupästi	Devotion and service to ascetics
Swädhyäy	Studying of Scriptures
Sanyam	Self-restraint
Tapa	Penance
Däna	Charity

The purpose of these six Aavashyaks is to raise our spirituality and reduce/eliminate our kashayas (anger, ego, greed, deceit) on a daily basis.

Occasion Oriented Jain Rituals:

Following are some of the most popular festivals in Jainism –

Pancha Kalyänak – Five major events (Pancha Kalyänak) of the life of a Tirthankar

Conception Event (Chyavana Kalyänak)	When a Tirthankar’s soul is conceived in the mother’s womb.
Birth Event (Janma Kalyänak)	When a Tirthankar is born
Renunciation Event (Dikshä Kalyänak)	When a would-be Tirthankar gives up all worldly possessions and family relationships and initiates into the ascetic order
Omniscience Event (Keval-jnän Kalyänak)	When a Tirthankar becomes free of the four Ghäti Karma by the practice of severe discipline, penance, and meditation, and attains Keval-jnän.
Nirvana Event (Nirvana Kalyänak)	When a Tirthankar is liberated from the cycle of birth and death and becomes a Siddha. The Tirthankar destroys the remaining four Aghäti Karma and is now free from all Karma.

Paryushan/Dash Lakshana - During the months of August- September, Paryushan/Dash Lakshana is an important festival of forgiveness and atonement for Jains. Paryushan means staying close to our soul.

Mahavir Janma Kalyanak - It is also known as Mahavir Jayanti. It is an auspicious occasion to celebrate the birth of Lord Mahavir, the 24th and the last Tirthankara, over 2600 years ago. It is observed on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the month of Chaitra (March/April).

Diwali - Diwali teaches us to uphold the true values of life, to destroy ignorance that prevents humanity, and to drive away darkness that engulfs the light of knowledge. Diwali is celebrated for five days and each day has its own significance: Dhanteras, Kali Chaudas, Diwali (Nirvana day for Mahavir Swami), New Year and Bhai Beej.

Navpad Oli - Nine Elements – It is also called Ayambil Oli. Jain observes Festival of Navpad oli, that last for nine days, twice a year. The first one falls in the bright fortnight of Ashwina month (September/October) and the second during the bright fortnight of Chaitra month (March/April).

Ashtanhika Parv - This is a Jain festival celebrated for eight days three times a year in the months of Kartik (October/November), Falgun (February/March), and Ashdah (June/July). It is celebrated from the eighth day of Shukla Paksh (Waxing moon Cycle) till Purnima/Guru Purnima every year.

Summary

Rituals are important and critical stepping-stones for our spiritual progress. Rituals performed mechanically without knowledge, understanding, and reflection does not provide any spiritual benefit. Also, if the rituals are performed out of fear, ego, greed, deceit, or personal gain, they are pointless and provide no benefit.

We want to ensure that rituals are performed with the right understanding and are enhancing our spiritual growth. Rituals done properly help reduce/eliminate our kashayas (anger, ego, greed, deceit), help us realize the true nature of the soul and ultimately leads us to liberation.

The daily rituals / practices are intended to raise our spirituality, increase our inner strength, practice meditation, self-control, reflection, self-awareness, and essentially allow us to live by our Jain values and maintain the state of equanimity in all situations.